U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer on Wednesday criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Trump administration for denying New York’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration after a record February 2026 blizzard, calling the agency’s actions political and demanding transparency.
Senators say denial came without explanation
In a press release and accompanying letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, the senators said FEMA twice refused Governor Kathy Hochul’s request for federal disaster assistance — first on July 2, 2026, and again when an appeal was denied on Sept. 2, 2026 — without providing written justification.
The state had requested Public Assistance for Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties; Snow Assistance for Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties; and Hazard Mitigation assistance for the entire state. According to the senators, regional FEMA offices and NOAA had determined the storm met thresholds for a declaration, but reporting indicated the president overruled those findings.
“Reporting reveals that the regional offices at FEMA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined that the February blizzard met the threshold and standards for a disaster declaration for a record-breaking snowstorm,” the senators wrote. They also stated, “President Trump and this administration have the wrong priorities,” and accused the administration of disproportionately denying or delaying disaster aid for states led by Democrats.
Senators request FEMA’s analysis
The letter asks FEMA to provide its analysis and reasoning for both the initial denial and the denial of the appeal by Oct. 5, 2026. The senators characterized the repeated, unexplained denials as a politicization of federal disaster assistance.
Full text of the senators’ letter and the office’s press release are available from the senators’ office.
