Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson addressed claims that the Biden administration diverted Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) funds to immigration efforts, saying the swimming pools of funds are “completely different,” however that he understands why People are “annoyed.”
“The streams of funding are completely different, that isn’t an unfaithful assertion, after all,” Johnson, R-La., advised Fox Information’ Shannon Bream on “Fox Information Sunday.” “However the issue is with the American individuals, see, and what they’re annoyed by, is that FEMA ought to be concerned. The Federal Emergency Administration Company, their mission is to assist individuals in occasions like this of pure catastrophe. To not be engaged in utilizing any pool of funding from any account for resettling unlawful aliens who’ve come throughout the border. That is what the Biden administration, Kamala Harris and Secretary Mayorkas have been engaged in.”
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre final week denied that FEMA assets have been going to migrants, however cited FEMA funds for migrants in 2022.
“Former President Trump is accusing the Biden administration of utilizing FEMA funding to assist undocumented migrants. How is the White Home responding to that?” a reporter requested throughout a Friday press convention.
FEMA HAS FUNDS NEEDED FOR ‘IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY,’ DESPITE MAYORKAS’ WARNING
Speaker Mike Johnson is holding agency to his plan on authorities funding (Getty Photos)
“I imply, it’s simply categorically false. It’s not true. It’s a false assertion,” Jean-Pierre responded.
Critics have since in contrast her assertion to feedback made in 2022, the place she cited FEMA assets have been obtainable to unlawful immigrants.
“FEMA Regional Directors have been assembly with metropolis officers on web site to coordinate – to coordinate obtainable federal assist from FEMA and different federal companies,” Jean-Pierre advised reporters at a Sept. 16, 2022, press convention.
“Funding can also be obtainable by FEMA’s Emergency Meals and Shelter program to eligible native governments and not-for-profit organizations upon request to assist humanitarian reduction for migrants,” she added.
FEMA has a pool of funds explicitly used for pure disasters, whereas Congress referred to as on FEMA in 2022 to disseminate funds from Customs and Border Safety to help American communities affected by the immigration disaster.
KJP SLAMMED AFTER HURRICANE HELENE OVER MIXED MESSAGES ON WHETHER FEMA RESOURCES USED FOR MIGRANTS
Border Patrol picks up a bunch of asylum seekers on the U.S.-Mexico border close to Sasabe, Arizona, on March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Bloomberg through Getty Photos)
FEMA’s web site presently has a “Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response” web page to handle false claims surrounding restoration efforts, together with a rebuke of the declare that FEMA diverted catastrophe response funds to “border associated points.”
“That is false. No cash is being diverted from catastrophe response wants. FEMA’s catastrophe response efforts and particular person help is funded by the Catastrophe Reduction Fund, which is a devoted fund for catastrophe efforts. Catastrophe Reduction Fund cash has not been diverted to different, non-disaster associated efforts,” FEMA posted in response to the declare.
Hurricane Helene has left greater than 220 individuals lifeless after flooding devastated cities and cities throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Particles is strewn on the lake within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. (AP Photograph/Mike Stewart)
Secretary of Homeland Safety Alejandro Mayorkas drew nationwide consideration final week when he indicated that FEMA doesn’t have sufficient funding to make it by hurricane season, which generally wraps up in November.
LAWMAKERS OUTRAGED OVER FEMA FUNDING CONCERNS
“We’re assembly the instant wants with the cash that we’ve. We expect one other hurricane hitting,” he mentioned Wednesday, heightening issues round funds for People left displaced by the hurricane. “FEMA doesn’t have the funds to make it by the season.”
The DHS, nevertheless, mentioned the next day that FEMA has the funds wanted to help these presently affected.
“FEMA has what it wants for instant response and restoration efforts,” spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg mentioned on X. “As [Administrator Deanne Criswell] mentioned, she has the total authority to spend in opposition to the President’s finances, however we’re not out of hurricane season but so we have to preserve an in depth eye on it.”
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ‘FAILED TO ACT’ IN HURRICANE HELENE AFTERMATH: REP. CORY MILLS
An aerial view of the injury following Hurricane Helene in Erwin, Tennessee. (AP Photograph/George Walker IV)
Johnson mentioned throughout his interview Sunday that when residents take public transportation and spot unlawful immigrants touring the nation, their tickets are “gleefully” paid for by the Biden-Harris administration through non-governmental organizations.
“Whenever you see illegals in your native airport and also you see them being transported across the nation with planes, trains and cars to each neighborhood, all over the place, each state’s a border state now, due to that. That is the NGOs, the non-governmental organizations largely, which are transporting these individuals round. After which they ship the receipts to the federal authorities,” he continued.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson holds a information briefing in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Photos)
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“And Biden, Harris and Mayorkas gleefully pay these receipts as a result of they open the border deliberately. The American individuals are disgusted by this. They’re fed up with it, and so are Republicans in Congress. And it will cease after Nov. 5 as a result of we’ll have a unified authorities with Republicans in cost, and we’ll deliver sanity again to this example,” he added.
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Fox Information Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
