Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tornadoes in Washington, Ill. Hundreds of families in our community were displaced due to these storms. These before and after photos show just some of the damage that I witnessed firsthand.

Earlier this year, FEMA declined to provide Public Assistance aid to Illinois communities impacted by the tornadoes, stating that the damage assessment did not meet federal standards and requirements for assistance. FEMA’s current determination of Public Assistance aid relies heavily on the “per capita” factor, which gives larger states like Illinois a severe disadvantage when determining aid.

FEMA should treat all communities fairly when a disaster strikes. Having seen firsthand the devastation that November’s deadly tornadoes caused, I remain committed to serious reevaluation of FEMA’s methodology for providing Public Assistance.

Earlier this year, along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and a bipartisan coalition led by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), I introduced the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. This bill would ensure consistency by requiring FEMA to re-weight the factors considered when determining which communities are eligible for assistance. It would also require FEMA to take individual circumstances such as local economic factors into consideration.

Watch the video above to learn more about my work to reform the outdated FEMA policies and read the legislation below: