Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the organization she is the chair of, Climate Mayors, is pushing back against Musk/Trump/Vance’s efforts to cut off funding for FEMA operations and the program designed to aid low-income families in getting monies to pay for their summer air conditioning.
On the drive to cut off FEMA funding to National Disaster Responses under the guise of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, Climate Mayors Executive Director Kate Wright responded in a statement that:
“Disaster events aren’t going away – in fact they are only getting worse. Mayors are the first line of defense when disaster strikes, and have seen firsthand the profound impacts on their communities. From wildfires in Los Angeles to record hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina, and rising heat across the country, the effects of climate change are here. Meeting this moment demands a whole-of-government response; we cannot be walking away from the critical federal resources and programs we need to help cities plan for disaster events and keep Americans safe.
FEMA is an essential partner for our mayors and cities, providing critical medical evacuation assistance, urban search and rescue teams, and satellite and ground communications support – all of which can help save more lives when a disaster strikes. When a winter storm hit Kentucky in February and caused deadly foods, FEMA provided critical, individual assistance and additional life-saving personnel to help flood victims. If the Trump administration abandons its responsibility to help communities plan for, respond, and recover from weather disasters, it’s the American people that will have to foot the bill – and cities in states like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas will pay the highest price.
To honor their obligations to the American people and save lives, the Trump administration must reform – not eliminate – FEMA, restore the BRIC program, and ensure FEMA has the resources and capacity it needs to support cities in their efforts to protect their communities before, during, and after crises. Climate Mayors are ready and willing to work with Congress to make the improvements to FEMA we need to ensure the country is prepared to deal with what will surely be another record-breaking and devastating summer.”
On the plan to gut the staff of the Health and Human Services division (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)) that funds summer air conditioning assistance for low-income individuals and families, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, whose city just received recognition for its Chilled Drinking Water Initiative, offered these remarks after the visit of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s visit to Phoenix:
“American cities experienced the hottest summer on record last year. It’s our responsibility to make sure households across the country can stay safe and healthy when temperatures climb. From desert cities in the Southwest to coastal cities in the Northeast, communities across the country are impacted by deadly summer heat waves. The Trump administration must honor its commitment to support working families by doubling down on – and not dismantling – critical programs like LIHEAP. Here in Maricopa County, nearly 36,000 households rely on LIHEAP for their energy bills.
“There is nothing wasteful about ensuring families can keep their lights on and air conditioning running during the hottest months of the year. I strongly urge Secretary Kennedy to swiftly reinstate LIHEAP so that Phoenix families— and the many people nationwide who rely on this assistance— have the resources they need to stay safe in extreme weather.”
Before Kennedy’s Phoenix visit, Gallego posted this:
Gallego’s former Vice Mayor and Sustainability Comrade in Arms, Representative Yassamin Ansari, is working on legislation that, unlike Musk/Trump/Vance’s war on the weak and vulnerable, “Helps low-income people afford heat and air conditioning.”
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