Ahead of Biden's inauguration, Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington
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The decision has been taken to make sure no violent incident takes place in future as the inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden is scheduled to take place next week
The outgoing US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Washington a few days after his supporters marched into the Capitol building to destroy government property and protest against the US election results.
The news broke out in the late hours of Monday through a White House press office. The release claims the decision has been taken to make sure no such incident takes place in future as the inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden is scheduled to take place next week.
"Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021," the release states.
Through this action, the President has given authority to 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."
Further, FEMA can identify, mobilise and use discretion to provide resources and equipment to prevent any impacts of violence or situations of emergency. "Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent Federal funding."
This decision has come hours after he acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, resigned from his post due to the violence at the Capitol a week. ago. Following his rsignation, the White House press release states Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas J. Fargione as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.