The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied emergency declarations requests from Virginia and Maryland.
The two states requested the relief in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege last week, and the agency rejected it on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Based on our review of all the information available, it has been determined that supplemental federal assistance under the Stafford Act is not warranted for this event,” FEMA told Virginia officials in a letter on Sunday.
An emergency declaration would allow each state to receive federal assistance and get reimbursed for pertinent costs. President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Washington, D.C., days after the Capitol riot left a handful of people dead. Both states plan to appeal the decision.
“Virginia has approximately 2,400 National Guard troops on the ground in Washington, D.C.,” said Alena Yarmosky, a spokeswoman for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “We plan on appealing this decision on Wednesday afternoon.”
“The State of Maryland will appeal this decision,” said Mike Ricci, a spokesman for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
Both states deployed thousands of state and local police to the district on Jan. 6 as a swath of protesters stormed the Capitol while Congress sought to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The ensuing violence resulted in five deaths and more than a hundred arrests. The rejection comes as officials prepare for additional violence that may happen nationwide in the days surrounding the inauguration. Local and federal officials in and around Washington, D.C., are increasing security efforts ahead of the event, with roughly 20,000 armed National Guardsmen on-site for the event.
