In an attempt to secure federal aid for smaller towns devastated by tornado’s and strong storms, Governor Bruce Rauner has issued a disaster proclamation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, asking for assistance.
Warren County was one of 23 counties around the state to be added to that proclamation this past Monday.
FEMA will now survey damage in Cameron, as well as other tornado-stricken towns, in order to determine if federal funding would be applicable.
Under the current formula, no federal funding would be given to towns like Cameron.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos has been one advocate voicing her support to change the formula that bases funding off of population.
She tells WGIL, that she mentioned the grouping idea to Rauner a week after the tornado’s hit last month.
“I asked him, if they had thought about lumping in all of these natural disasters,” says Bustos. “One of these disasters in itself may not be eligible to get assistance, but if you look at all the damage that has been done by these natural disasters that have hit our state, perhaps we’d have a better shot at getting some assistance. At that time actually when we brought it up, he said he hadn’t thought about that and that he would look into it. To his credit, he and his administration have researched that. I, along with the other members of Congress and the Illinois delegation are here to help.”
Bustos says currently, the legislation has made it out of committee. It awaits review by Congress, when they reconvene this Fall.
