Rep. James Comer told Newsmax on Wednesday that the federal government is to blame for flooding in western Kentucky and called on President Donald Trump to release funds to compensate affected farmers.
Comer is calling on the federal government to compensate farmers whose land was flooded following a series of storms in his state, saying the damage was partly caused by decisions made by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Appearing on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” the Kentucky Republican said farmers deserve compensation for damage caused when the federal agency opened dams after excessive rain.
“A lot of this flooding was caused by the government, in their mind, to reduce flooding downstream from the Ohio River,” Comer said.
“Right where we’re talking about is at the mouth of the Ohio where it flows into the Mississippi. So the government, not only the dam but also the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow the flooding. This [land] was purposely flooded, and the farmers deserved, they [are] owed, compensation.”
Comer said Trump has shown concern for Kentucky farmers and encouraged federal action while criticizing the Biden administration for failing to act.
“I appreciate President Trump and his interest. He cares about the farmers,” Comer said. “I never got the same feeling from the former president, Joe Biden, that he was that concerned about the farmers.”
In late February, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Trump had approved his request for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration, providing public and individual assistance for 10 counties affected by recent storms. The governor, a Democrat, had requested the aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and met with Trump at the White House to secure the assistance.
Comer said a little-known fund could provide relief without increasing federal spending.
“There’s a thing called the judgment fund for entities where the government is at fault on any type of activity,” Comer said. “You have to compensate people for losses. People might say, well, this is a natural disaster. It’s a natural disaster aided by the government.”
The congressman pointed to a pattern of water released from lakes such as Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley — flood control reservoirs built by the government — contributing to the damage.
“They’ve been releasing water where they didn’t do that in the past, and the water has been intentionally flooding these farmers’ lands,” Comer said. “A lot of decisions by the Corps of Engineers, whether they were good or bad, they were decisions made by the Corps that adversely affected our farmers. And they should be compensated.”
Comer urged Trump to authorize the use of the judgment fund for affected farmers, noting that “the money’s already in the fund,” and no new spending is required.
“That’s what we’re asking the president to authorize and pay the farmers,” Comer said.
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