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Sanders, Welch, Balint Urge FEMA to Address Staffing Issues Slowing Flood Recovery in Vermont

| Posted in Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-At Large) called on Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address concerns raised by Vermont municipalities about high staff turnover and other bureaucratic inefficiencies within…

Balint Legislation to Bolster Mental Health Supports after Disasters Advances out of Committee

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Washington, D.C. – Today, the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced, on a bipartisan basis, Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL)’s bill, H.R. 5623, the Addressing Addiction After Disasters (AAAD) Act. The bill is co-lead by Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01).  For the last two summers, Vermont was hit by devastating flooding and…

Sanders, Welch, Balint Welcome Over $51 Million in Federal Transportation Funds to Support Vermont Flood Recovery

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Washington, D.C. – Vermont’s Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-At Large) today welcomed $51 million in funding for Vermont from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) Program to reimburse Vermont for the costs of…

Vermont Delegation Urges USDA to Approve Vermont Request for Flood Recovery Support

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Washington, D.C. – The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large) this week called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to quickly approve Vermont Governor Phil Scott’s request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation for the State of…

Rep. Becca Balint Joins Senators Welch, Sanders, Schumer, and Gillibrand Introduce Bicameral Bill to Support the Health of the Lake Champlain Basin

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Washington, D.C. – Today Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a senior and longtime member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand…

Welch, Balint Meet with Flood-Impacted Vermonters, Small Businesses in Ludlow and Londonderry

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Londonderry and Ludlow, VT – Nearly one year after the July 2023 floods, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large) sat down with community members and flood-impacted small businesses in Londonderry and Ludlow. Sen. Welch and Rep. Balint discussed the communities’ ongoing flood recovery efforts and work to improve flood…

Rep. Becca Balint Introduces Bipartisan Mental Health Legislation

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Today, Rep. Becca Balint introduced the Mental Health Emergency Needs in Disasters (MEND) Act. Following the devastating 2023 flooding in Vermont and as we face a growing climate crisis, Rep. Balint is introducing federal legislation to provide communities with the mental health support they need in disaster recovery. Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL) joins Rep. Balint…

Vermont Delegation Calls on FEMA to Fix Challenges Slowing Assistance for Flood Victims

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The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today called on Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with Congress and the Delegation to improve disaster response ahead of future emergencies and address the serious challenges…

Rep. Balint Votes to Pass Bipartisan Government Domestic Funding Legislation

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Rep. Balint Votes to Pass Bipartisan Government Domestic Funding Legislation   Washington, D.C – Today, Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL), member of the House Budget Committee, voted ‘YES’ on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, a package of six domestic funding bills focused on helping families and communities across the United States. The investments in the bill will…

Rep. Balint joins Rep. Tokuda, Rep. Fitzpatrick, and Rep. LaMalfa to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Access to Mental Health Services for First Responders

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Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), alongside Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01, Becca Balint (VT-AL), and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) introduced the Crisis Assistance and Resources in Emergencies (CARE) for First Responders Act, bipartisan legislation to provide specialized mental health, substance abuse, and crisis counseling services to first responders including…