Today, the National Governors Association (NGA) applauded President Biden and his administration for extending 100 percent federal cost share for FEMA Public Assistance and Title 32 for the National Guard response to and recovery from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The National Guard has been instrumental in responding to COVID-19. They have been assembling thousands of COVID-19 test kits and delivering ancillary kits that accompany vaccine doses. At the peak, nearly 40,000 National Guard members were supporting COVID-19 response operations including supporting call centers, nursing homes and testing at long-term care facilities, virus screening, disinfecting schools, churches, and shelters, and supporting drive-through testing.
With the increasing infection rates and hospitalization due to the COVID-19 Delta variant, and the possibility of other variants to emerge, continued federal support is critical to combatting this pandemic. Governors, states, and territories appreciate this much needed extension and full funding of the Guard’s Title 32 mission and FEMA’s Public Assistance through the end of the year.
