Trump’s Fire Funding Flip-Flop Ignites Oregon Governor Kotek’s Push for Federal Support
Federal government officials assured Oregon Governor, Tina Kotek, that they are reassessing their stance on wild firefighting funding following a previous announcement by President Donald Trump that he will turn off the funding taps.
Kotek was reporting back on the annual meeting at the White House last Friday between federal and members of the National Governors Association.
Withdrawal of Firefighting Funds Sent Shockwaves Through Lawmakers
Trump’s previous attitude to wildfire funding sent shockwaves among Oregon lawmakers and needs billions of dollars to cover the cost of effective damage-control firefighting initiatives during the wildfire season.
Kotek said she urged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to restore wildfire mitigation grants as it would be difficult for Oregon to be fully prepared for the fire season without a partnership from the federal government.
The governor said her understanding was that the Trump administration ‘is reassessing…I hope they do that quickly.’
Another concern raised by the governor was the threat of cutting off other critical funding streams and reducing the number of people employed at federal facilities – Oregon is home to large tracts of federal land and hundreds of federal employees.
Of particular concern are the people employed at the Bonneville Power Administration who stand to lose their jobs. Kotek said she discussed this issue with the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, but did not elaborate further.
Oregon Targeted Over Immigrant Sanctuary Laws
Kotek was questioned by reporters over a federal lawsuit targeting immigrant sanctuary laws in Oregon.
The governor replied that Oregon did not appear to be a specific threat to the Trump administration, but should that attitude change, she would analyze the situation together with the state’s Attorney General, Dan Rayfield.
Last Friday, the New York Times reported that the federal government planned to detain undocumented immigrants on a site in Oregon, as well as in several other states.
The governor replied that she was unaware of any plans to do so and pointed out that Oregon is home to only a few Departments of Defense facilities…’I think it’s unlikely that they’d be looking at us.’
The governor said she cautioned legislative leaders not to overreact to federal government announcements of funding cutbacks to several critical services. Apart from fighting wildfires, the cutbacks could also impact education and healthcare.
Kotek said Oregon must focus on a budget meeting the needs of the state as the threat of funding cutbacks may never happen.