As Rhode Island reflects on Earth Day, we celebrate the things that make our state so unique and special, appreciating all that nature has to offer.
It’s a time to recharge and recommit ourselves to preserving the environment we all love and share; even as we grasp the weight of responsibility we all bear to address the growing and costly impacts of climate change, and especially as we recover from one of the harshest winters in recent memory.
While the unmistakable reality of increasingly frequent and intense storms reminds us of the vital work of emergency responders and important initiatives such as “Resilient Rhody 2025,” this Earth Day we should also take a sense of pride and patriotism from the many stories of neighbors caring for neighbors throughout the recent winter storms, including those efforts by our fellow New England states as we came together to help each other in the aftermath of the Blizzard of ‘26.
This collective and resilient response was made possible through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact between our New England states, yet truly dates back to our colonial roots, as states helped each other persevere amid an authoritarian regime.
Today, it is essential we continue to build upon these interstate collaborations to ensure we can respond to future emergencies, natural or man-made, as we have no choice but to face the reality that in future storms, states may be on their own, with little or no assistance from the federal government.
At the time of this writing, we are still no closer to knowing if or when the federal government may approve disaster assistance related to the Blizzard of ‘26. The Trump administration, which has already seen the Department of Homeland Security embroiled in chaos, has made no secret of its desire to defund the Federal Emergency Management Agency , which itself is embroiled in its own controversy regarding a director’s alleged “involuntary teleportation” to a Waffle House in Rome, GA. If FEMA were a federal priority, we would see stronger leadership in place.
As a retired Rhode Island State Trooper and a former state senator, nothing is more important to me than public safety, and as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, I will make enhanced emergency preparedness one of my highest priorities. In my over two decades of law enforcement experience, I was always mindful of the old adage that “by failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail.”
Today, we have no choice but to assume that the “new normal” for this and perhaps future Republican administrations is that they may be unwilling or unable to fulfill their mission and obligations. Indeed, two of the most vital federal partners following a disaster, either natural or man-made, have been FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The SBA itself has been a critical partner, given that 40% of small businesses never reopen after a natural disaster, and another 25% fail within one year.
In a state where small businesses are truly our “big” business, this reality should raise concerns across the political spectrum. Even the so-called “red states” have learned the hard way that, when the Trump administration is willing to provide assistance, such as following recent hurricane-related flooding, bureaucratic incompetence, budget cuts and mismanagement can result in unacceptably slow responses.
As we celebrate Earth Day in Rhode Island, we can find “Hope” and inspiration in our heritage of resilience and collaboration, which will continue to be needed to respond to future climate challenges. As your lieutenant governor, I would work to strengthen our interstate collaborative agreements – a vital tool to improve response and recovery from future crises. Strengthening these agreements is essential in our current political climate, with a federal government that has already demonstrated a willingness to curtail or suspend essential federal funding to certain states on matters including disaster aid, infrastructure funding and public assistance.
As lieutenant governor, my commitment is simple: be ready to lead the state on day 1, prioritize the needs of small businesses, improve Rhode Island’s system of long-term care and invest the breadth and depth of my experience to help ensure the state is prepared for the worst – with or without the support of the federal government – even as we hope for the best.
