{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-katko-slaughter-urge-fema-reconsider-aid-requests-cayuga-monroe", "REPS. KATKO & SLAUGHTER URGE FEMA TO RECONSIDER AID REQUESTS FOR CAYUGA, MONROE COUNTIES", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Reps. John Katko (NY-24) and Louise Slaughter (NY-25) today asked that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reconsider aid requests recently denied for Cayuga and Monroe Counties.\nIn order for FEMA to issue a disaster declaration and to provide aid, federal law requires that the initial request come from the Governor.\u00a0 Following a summer of persistently high water levels and unprecedented flooding in communities along the Lake Ontario shoreline, Governor Cuomo officially requested that a major disaster declaration be issued for New York.\u00a0 Reps. Katko and Slaughter, among other members of the New York delegation, urged the President to support the disaster declaration that time.\u00a0 This month, while many other counties in New York State were granted aid, Cayuga and Monroe counties were denied federal assistance.\u00a0\nIn today\u2019s letter Reps. Katko and Slaughter urged FEMA to reconsider any expedited appeal submitted by the Governor in order to protect and rebuild shoreline communities in Cayuga and Monroe Counties.\u00a0 Reps. Katko and Slaughter stated, \u201cThe exclusion of both individual and public assistance for these two counties jeopardizes the recovery efforts for more than 800,000 of our constituents.\u00a0 These grants are essential for the continued operation of several localities along the shoreline as recovery efforts continue to incur high costs.\u201d\nThe full text of the bipartisan letter can be found here and below.\nDear Mr. Von Essen:\nWe are writing to express our support for any expedited appeal submitted by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in response to FEMA\u2019s denial of Individual and Public Assistance for Cayuga and Monroe Counties.\nThe November 14 disaster declaration granted assistance for several counties but failed to include Monroe and Cayuga Counties because FEMA assessed damages in each county to be below the minimum threshold.\u00a0\u00a0 The exclusion of both individual and public assistance for these two counties jeopardizes the recovery efforts for more than 800,000 of our constituents.\u00a0 These grants are essential for the continued operation of several localities along the shoreline as recovery efforts continue to incur high costs. Considering the recent December 6th denial for July flooding throughout these communities, failure to provide federal assistance will further degrade the ability of these counties to recover from historic flooding.\nWe ask your continued support for hazard mitigation measures to ensure the protection of our shoreline. The protection of the Lake Ontario shoreline is critical for our local economies and hazard mitigation measures provides our localities the flexibility to prevent future disasters.\nWe ask that you please expeditiously consider any appeal that may cover Cayuga and Monroe Counties.\nSincerely,\nJohn Katko\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Louise Slaughter\nMember of Congress\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Member of Congress\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-katko-slaughter-urge-fema-reconsider-aid-requests-cayuga-monroe"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.7124150656163692, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}