New Jersey Governor Sherrill today criticized President Donald Trump following FEMA's denial of the state's disaster declaration appeal, a decision she attributed to political retribution. The denial leaves New Jersey taxpayers responsible for an $84 million cost incurred from a winter of "unprecedented, back-to-back extreme storms."
Governor Sherrill said, "Once again, Donald Trump is using the federal government to punish those he sees as his political enemies, and everyday New Jerseyans are paying the price." She added that President Trump "overruled the experts" despite FEMA initially agreeing that disaster relief was warranted.
The Governor emphasized that New Jersey's workers and towns "rose to the occasion" during the severe weather and should not be penalized. She affirmed her administration's commitment to "continue fighting to ensure New Jersey communities have the resources they need to prepare, respond, and recover when disaster strikes."