WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied Governor Larry Hogan’s request for a declaration of a major disaster for Baltimore following the unrest stemming from the death of Freddie Gray. In May, Senator Cardin and Team Maryland sent a letter to President Obama supporting Gov. Hogan’s request.
“We have seen the White House and many cabinet agencies reach out to Baltimore to help with the recovery efforts in the last two months, so I am disappointed that Maryland was denied federal disaster recovery dollars through FEMA. The unrest we saw in Baltimore impacted the region far too much for local officials to handle on their own. At a time Maryland’s budget is already stretched thin, the people of Baltimore need and deserve a strong federal partner. I continue to support Governor Hogan’s request for FEMA assistance to make Baltimore and the entire state whole after the turmoil we experienced April 25th – May 1st. If there is an appeal made to FEMA, I will be supportive. Baltimore is my home and a great American city. I will keep working with the private sector, as well as city, state and local officials to repair the damage that was done and to build a better Baltimore.”
This week, Senator Cardin introduced the BALTIMORE Act (Building And Lifting Trust In order to Multiply Opportunities and Racial Equality), a broad legislative package of civil rights and law enforcement reform measures that addresses many of the core issues that were exposed in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray.
###
