ST. LOUIS – After touring neighborhoods in north St. Louis devastated by an EF-3 tornado last Friday, Senator Josh Hawley had a warning for insurers in the state: pay out claims in full, or risk being subpoenaed.

The senator joined Mayor Cara Spencer, Police Chief Robert Tracy, and representatives from Ameren Missouri and the American Red Cross at a news conference Monday afternoon to update residents on the recovery effort.

Hawley went with the mayor and other officials to the city’s Penrose and Ville neighborhoods to see the damage firsthand. After speaking with residents and listening to their stories of loss, the senator said the federal government has a big role to play in the recovery.

Hawley said he’s working with Governor Mike Kehoe to get a federal emergency declaration, which will unlock disaster relief for individuals and businesses.

It was at this point that the Missouri Republican first called out insurers.

“I’ve got a message for you. You need to pay out claims. We need 100% of claims that are eligible to be paid out and they need to be paid out in full,” Hawley said, adding that he sent letters to all insurers operating in the state this past weekend.

The senator said every person who has been injured or had their home or car damaged needs to have their claim processed quickly and paid in full. His office has established a Constituent Insurance Claims Hotline where Missourians can report any problems in filing claims, or seeing their claims denied or underpaid.

Hawley had kind words for local officials, saying he witnessed residents in the neighborhoods thank the fire department for their help in the days since the tornado. He also praised St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy and Mayor Cara Spencer for their organization and efforts thus far.

“There’s a lot of work to do. There’s a lot of rebuilding to do. These are beautiful neighborhoods, beautiful communities, and the history here is extraordinary,” Hawley said. “As I was walking these streets just talking to residents, talking about their grandmother lived here, they raised their children here, one family said they’d been here for 80 years. That kind of community, you can’t find that anywhere else. We don’t want to see that lost; we want to see it rebuilt.”

When asked about possible Missouri National Guard deployment to the hardest hit areas in the city and county, Sen. Hawley said he’d defer to Gov. Kehoe’s judgment, since it’d be Kehoe’s call to mobilize the state reservists. The senator said he’s focused on getting federal aid to not only St. Louis City and County, but the other counties in southeast Missouri that suffered.

“FEMA has a lot of resources, and we want to see all of them deployed here. And we want to see assistance come in full to this area. So, I’m going to be a dog on a bone with that,” Hawley said.

As Missouri still waits for a federal emergency declaration from a tornado outbreak this past March, Hawley said he trusts the governor with his requests of the White House. The senator said he’s been in communication with the White House about the March request and has been told everything about that request was in order. Hawley hopes Missourians won’t have to wait two-plus months for an emergency declaration following the May 16 tornadoes, and said he’ll speak with President Trump soon about both the March and May disaster declaration requests.

Hawley again took aim at insurers, this time by name.

“To State Farm, to Allstate, to all the insurers in this state, you need to pay out your claims,” he said. “You’re making lots of money, and you’ve made a lot of money on these people. It’s time to pay off their claims in full.”

As Monday’s news conference wrapped, Hawley went to the microphone and, for the third time, warned insurance companies to pay out claims and cautioned against denying claims, dropping customers, or raising premiums in the midst of recovery, saying he will subpoena those companies to appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Management.

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