Far too often, rural communities and businesses are left struggling to scrap resources together following a natural disaster. We saw how difficult this was for towns like Malden and Pine City after the Babb Road Fire, which is why I continue looking for ways for the federal government to make the process of receiving assistance easier.

The good news is that I helped pass two bills in the House this week to do just that. First, we passed the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act to allow state governors to request disaster assistance directly from the Small Business Administration. This will help streamline the approval process, cutting through some of the bureaucratic red tape that prevents rural homeowners, renters, and small businesses from accessing disaster relief quickly.

We also passed the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act to ensure there is a strategic and data-driven approach to our nation’s response to extreme weather events and other emergencies. This will help identify which areas in Eastern Washington and across the country are most likely to be impacted and prepare our response before disaster strikes.

While both of these bills are on their way to the president’s desk to become law, our work is far from over. I will continue working hard in Congress to support our rural communities and ensure they get the fair access to assistance they deserve.