A Division of Homeland Safety inspector common’s report from August reveals greater than $7 billion stay in emergency funding that may very well be used for pure disasters — despite the fact that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated final week none was out there after Hurricane Helene.
Mayorkas, 64, advised reporters following the devastation of Helene in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida that the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) “doesn’t have the funds” to endure extra hurricanes this fall.
“We predict one other hurricane hitting,” the DHS chief stated Oct. 2, days earlier than Hurricane Milton started selecting up pace within the Gulf of Mexico. “We shouldn’t have the funds. FEMA doesn’t have the funds to make it by way of the season and what’s imminent.”
However DHS Inspector Normal Joseph Cuffari present in his Aug. 14 report that as of October 2022, FEMA had $8.3 billion in unliquidated funds meant to alleviate declared disasters from 2012 or earlier.
Greater than $7 billion of that “may probably be returned to the Catastrophe Aid Fund,” the report notes, referring to FEMA’s devoted fund for pure calamities.
To date, the feds have paid simply $4 million to People hit by Helene within the Southeast, offering as much as $750 in quick assist for people to assist cowl the price of groceries and emergency provides.
The storm has killed no less than 232 folks and brought about greater than $47.5 billion in devastation.
“It took one week for a few of the county mayors in my residence state to even get a cellphone name from FEMA, and Kamala Harris has the nerve to announce ‘a dire humanitarian state of affairs’ in a foreign country,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn advised The Put up, referencing the VP’s announcement of $157 million in US assist to Lebanon over the weekend.
“Our personal folks in Tennessee, North Carolina, and within the Southeast are those going through ‘a dire humanitarian state of affairs’ and wish ‘meals, water, and shelter,’” Blackburn (R-Tenn.) stated. “America Final is the theme of this administration, and Kamala Harris has confirmed she’s going to proceed that legacy.”
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused Fox Information correspondent Peter Doocy of pushing “disinformation-misinformation” by asking particularly concerning the Lebanon funding within the context of the catastrophe.
“President Biden is fond of claiming, ‘Present your finances and I’ll let you know what you worth,’” Doocy stated. “If he’s acquired cash for folks in Lebanon proper now with out Congress having to return again, what does it say about his values? There’s not sufficient cash proper now for folks in North Carolina who want it. That’s not misinformation.”
Jean-Pierre cited greater than $200 million in allotted catastrophe reduction funding and claimed it had not been exhausted but by people making use of for the help, however stated the president was however asking for extra funding from Congress.
“There’s cash that we’re allocating to the impacted areas. And there’s cash there to assist individuals who really want it,” she went on. “We’ve got the cash out there to assist survivors of Hurricane Helene and likewise Hurricane Milton.”
“Now there’s going to be a shortfall, proper?” she added. “As a result of we don’t understand how dangerous Hurricane Milton goes to be. And so we’re going to want extra funding.”
“That’s precisely what I simply requested about — and also you stated it was simply misinformation,” Doocy stated in exasperation.
“No, what you’re asking me is why Congress wants to return again and do their job. That’s what you’re asking me,” Jean-Pierre retorted. “You might not need that, however that’s OK. That’s what this president needs and that’s what the vice chairman needs.”
Conservative critics like the favored Libs of TikTok account on X additionally pointed to one other $3.9 billion in deliberate Catastrophe Aid Funding that had been put aside in September for COVID-19 reduction funding to state and native governments, nonprofits and faculties.
In the meantime, the Biden-Harris administration has shelled out $1.4 billion from separate funds — the Emergency Meals and Shelter Program (EFSP)and the Shelter and Service Program (SSP) — to state and native governments in addition to non-governmental teams serving to migrants settle within the US.
Republicans have argued the funds ought to be redirected to assist with the federal response to Hurricane Helene — however Mayorkas’ workplace responded that his company couldn’t achieve this since Congress didn’t authorize the transfer.
“Reasonably than guaranteeing FEMA is prepared to reply to hurricanes and different emergencies, FEMA has been pulled right into a border disaster mission,” charged 5 Republican senators in a Friday letter to President Biden.
“We’re very involved that FEMA’s position on the border has impacted its readiness and preparation efforts for Hurricane Helene and its response efforts,” stated Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Roger Marshall of Kansas.
Different GOP lawmakers lashed out at Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of “political posturing” after the disaster.
“VP Harris: I used to be speaking about politicians like YOU utilizing this catastrophe for political posturing,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) posted Monday on X after the Harris marketing campaign posted certainly one of his quotes decrying “political posturing, finger pointing or conspiracy theories” to social media.
“Claiming to be ‘working across the clock’ when you don’t even plug in your headphones for a staged photo-op,” Tillis charged. “The place had been YOU as Ft. Liberty troops had been standing by for days?”
Harris, 59, posted a photograph final week to her official X account aboard Air Pressure Two apparently taking notes on an essential cellphone name — with out her headphones plugged in.
In whole, Congress appropriated greater than $30 billion for FEMA in fiscal yr 2024, based on the 5 senators.
Reps for FEMA didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
