For
Immediate
Release
September
8,
2017
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Contact:
James
Wegmann
(202)
224-4224
|
|
Sasse
Questions
FEMA's
Denial
of
Relief
to
Churches
"It
is
unjust.
It
is
unconstitutional.
It
is
unreasonable.
And
it
is
impeding
ongoing
recovery
efforts."
Fremont,
NE
Today,
U.S.
Senator
Ben
Sasse
sent
a
letter
to
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency
(FEMA)
Administrator
Brock
Long,
demanding
answers
regarding
FEMA's
decision
to
deny
disaster
relief
funding
to
three
churches
seeking
to
rebuild
their
communities
in
the
wake
of
Hurricane
Harvey.
"This
policy
discriminates
against
people
of
faith,"
wrote
Sasse.
"It
sends
the
message
that
communities
of
worship
aren’t
welcome
to
participate
fully
in
public
life....
It
reduces
the
facilities
and
volunteer
time,
talent,
and
effort
available
to
support
the
broader
community.
And
it
is
inconsistent
with
the
Supreme
Court’s
recent
7-2
ruling
in
Trinity
Lutheran
Church
v.
Comer.... In
other
words,
it
is
unjust.
It
is
unconstitutional.
It
is
unreasonable.
And
it
is
impeding
ongoing
recovery
efforts."
Full
text
of
the
letter
can
be
found
below:
September
08,
2017
Dear
Administrator
Long,
All
across
the
country,
Americans
have
been
closely
watching
rescue
and
restoration
efforts
in
the
aftermath
of
Hurricane
Harvey,
amazed
at
the
uncomplaining
resilience
of
Texans.
While
our
hearts
break
for
the
families
who
have
lost
lives
and
homes,
they
also
swell
with
pride
in
the
volunteers,
neighbors,
and
first
responders
who
sprang
to
action.
That’s
what
America
is
about,
and
that’s
why
it
is
particularly
disturbing
to
hear
reports
that
FEMA
has
denied
three
churches
disaster
funds
to
help
rebuild
their
communities.
As
Congress
works
to
mobilize
resources
for
those
affected
by
this
disaster,
one
of
our
duties
is
to
exercise
our
oversight
authority
to
ensure
that
taxpayer
money
is
being
spent
efficiently
and
effectively.
In
the
wake
of
Harvey’s
devastation
and
in
anticipation
of
future
times
of
needespecially
in
light
of
the
potential
for
catastrophic
damage
from
Hurricane
Irmathere
is
no
room
for
discriminatory
policies
that
hinder
the
tasks
of
recovery
and
rebuilding.
That
is
why
I
am
disturbed
to
learn
of
FEMA’s
refusal
to
allow
religious
Americans
equal
access
to
disaster
aid.
When
disasters
strike,
it’s
our
churches,
synagogues,
mosques,
and
other
religious
organizations
that
spring
into
action,
offering
crucial
facilities,
manpower,
and
numerous
other
forms
of
support
to
affected
communities.
For
the
victims
of
a
disaster
such
as
Harvey,
so
many
of
whom
have
lost
their
home
orworse
yettheir
loved
ones,
it’s
these
institutions
that
provide
the
helping
hands
to
rebuild
suddenly
shattered
lives.
Nevertheless,
religious
organizations
are
not
themselves
immune
from
the
devastating
effects
of
disasters.
Indeed,
some
of
the
most
inspiring
stories
we’ve
heard
in
recent
days
involve
communities
of
worship
going
the
extra
mile
to
help
their
neighbors
even
as
they
themselves
have
suffered
catastrophic
damage.
But
even
as
these
communities
inspire
the
nation
by
facing
even
the
most
difficult
circumstances
with
a
servant’s
heart,
FEMA
categorically
excludes
institutions
that
use
their
facilities
primarily
for
religious
purposes
from
receiving
recovery
aid
grants
available
to
otherwise
similarly
situated
non-profit
organizations.[1]
When
facilities
for
stamp
and
coin
collecting
are
eligible
for
aid,[2]
but
houses
of
worship
aren’t,
something
has
gone
seriously
wrong.
What
are
the
consequences
of
this
policy?
Obviously,
this
policy
discriminates
against
people
of
faith.
It
sends
the
message
that
communities
of
worship
aren’t
welcome
to
participate
fully
in
public
life.
It
incentivizes
these
groups
to
focus
their
resources
on
the
damage
their
own
facilities
sustained.
It
reduces
the
facilities
and
volunteer
time,
talent,
and
effort
available
to
support
the
broader
community.
And
it
is
inconsistent
with
the
Supreme
Court’s
recent
7-2
ruling
in
Trinity
Lutheran
Church
v.
Comer,
in
which
the
Court
held
that
the
exclusion
of
a
religious
organization
“from
a
public
benefit
for
which
it
is
otherwise
qualified,
solely
because
it
is
a
church,
is
odious
to
our
Constitution
.
.
.
and
cannot
stand.”[3]
In
other
words,
it
is
unjust.
It
is
unconstitutional.
It
is
unreasonable.
And
it
is
impeding
ongoing
recovery
efforts.
In
light
of
this
troubling
policy,
please
provide
answers
to
the
following
questions:
- How
long
has
FEMA
maintained
a
policy[4]
that
religious
organizations
are
ineligible
for
disaster
recovery
aid?
Please
provide
a
copy
of
every
policy
on
religious
organizations’
eligibility
since
the
enactment
of
the
Stafford
Act.[5]
- In
the
months
since
the
Supreme
Court’s
decision
in
Trinity
Lutheran,
has
FEMA
taken
any
steps
to
reexamine
this
policy
to
ensure
its
compliance
with
the
Court’s
holding?
- Will
you
commit
to
using
any
and
all
expedited
authorities
at
your
disposal
to
suspend
or
limit
the
application
of
the
policy
to
ongoing
recovery
efforts?
- Will
you
commit
to
a
full
revision
of
the
policy
to
correct
the
legal,
moral,
and
practical
problems
with
the
policy
identified
above?
In
light
of
the
need
for
expedited
action,
please
respond
in
writing
in
the
next
30
days.
If
you
have
any
questions,
please
contact
my
staff
at
(202)
224-4224.
I
look
forward
to
your
prompt
response.
Sincerely,
Ben
Sasse
United
States
Senator
[1]
Fed.
Emergency
Mgmt.
Agency,
Public
Assistance
Program
and
Policy
Guide,
FP
104-009-2
at
12
(April
2017).
[3]
Trinity
Lutheran
Church
of
Columbia,
Inc.
v.
Comer,
No.
15577,
slip
op.
at
15
(U.S.
June
26,
2017).
[4]
“Policy”
here
refers
to
the
requirement
that
“[f]acilities
established
or
primarily
used
for
.
.
.
religious
.
.
.
activities
are
not
eligible”
for
financial
assistance
under
FEMA’s
Public
Assistance
Program.
Public
Assistance
Program
and
Policy
Guide,
supra
note
1,
at
12.
[5]
Robert
T.
Stafford
Disaster
Relief
and
Emergency
Assistance
Act,
Pub.
L.
No.
100-707,
102
Stat.
4689
(1988).
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