Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ assertion created a stir within the already heated political panorama of America when he revealed on Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) “doesn’t have the funds” to maintain operations via the rest of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The revelation triggered a backlash, with critics pointing to FEMA’s allocation of $640.9 million in 2023 to help state and native governments in managing the inflow of asylum seekers.
This revelation adopted the disclosure that FEMA had spent over $1.4 billion addressing the continuing migrant disaster since late 2022. The announcement got here whereas Mayorkas was en path to survey harm from Hurricane Helene within the Carolinas.
“We’re assembly the instant wants with the cash we have now,” Mayorkas said aboard Air Power One. Nonetheless, he warned of imminent challenges, saying, “We do not need the funds. FEMA doesn’t have the funds to make it via the season.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch critic of President Biden’s border insurance policies, voiced his discontent, tweeting, “Mayorkas and FEMA — instantly cease spending cash on unlawful immigration resettlement and redirect these funds to areas hit by the hurricane. Put Individuals first.”
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, additionally supported Abbott’s name for a shift in priorities and replied to Abbott’s social media put up on X and wrote, “Yeah!”.
The migrant disaster has been a persistent supply of stress between Republican governors like Abbott and the Biden administration. Abbott’s high-profile choice to bus asylum seekers to Democrat-led cities, together with New York, has compelled native governments to stretch their budgets to accommodate the inflow.
As per the New York Publish, FEMA-administered packages have spent over $1.4 billion to help non-federal entities dealing with the migrant disaster previously two years. Of that, $780 million was allotted final 12 months via FEMA’s Emergency Meals and Shelter Program, and one other $640.9 million was spent this 12 months via the Shelter and Companies Program.
Mayorkas defended the spending, stressing that the funds used for the migrant disaster had been separate from these allotted for catastrophe reduction. “The Shelter and Companies Program is a totally separate, appropriated grant program that was licensed and funded by Congress and isn’t related in any approach with FEMA’s disaster-related authorities or funding streams,” the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned in an announcement.
Regardless of these clarifications, Republican lawmakers had been fast to precise their frustration. Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) criticised the administration, saying, “The Biden-Harris administration took greater than a billion tax {dollars} that had been allotted to FEMA for catastrophe reduction and used it to accommodate unlawful aliens. Now, they’ve deserted American hurricane victims.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) went additional, calling FEMA’s actions “treasonous” and pointing to the lack of lives within the hurricane-affected areas. In the meantime, Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) and Trump adviser Tim Murtaugh each decried the administration’s priorities, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of placing “America final.”
With Congress not set to reconvene till after Election Day, the strain on FEMA and the Biden administration is mounting, as Hurricane Helene has already claimed 202 lives and left a path of devastation throughout the southeastern US.
Whereas $10 million has been allotted for storm victims, providing grants of $750 for groceries, it pales compared to the billions wanted to get better from the catastrophe. Because the nation braces for extra hurricanes, questions in regards to the administration’s dealing with of catastrophe reduction funds proceed to swirl.