On Monday, January 11, incumbent President Donald J. Trump declared an emergency state in the District of Columbia and ordered federal assistance to aid the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions after the Capitol raid, as was reported by the press service of the White House.
“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia," the announcement stated.
The corresponding decree was signed by President Trump on January 11.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent federal funding.
Such measures will allow the authorities to allocate funds to provide assistance to the city in an accelerated manner. Traditionally, a state of emergency is introduced to assist in the elimination of the consequences of natural disasters.