Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has demanded the resignation of FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell, amidst mounting criticism surrounding the government agency’s handling of Hurricane Helene.
The aftermath of Helene has sparked a political controversy in the last weeks leading up to the election. FEMA’s response to the hurricane has been heavily criticized by Republicans and residents in the affected states.
Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in Florida on September 26 and caused widespread destruction as it moved north. With a death toll of at least 200, Helene ranks as one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history, affecting six states.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have consistently made unfounded allegations that the agency is redirecting funds intended for disaster relief to support migrants.
“FEMA Director Deanne Criswell is set to appear before the Oversight Committee and will face the full Kimberly Cheatle treatment, and perhaps even worse,” stated Georgia Republican Representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene, on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
In July, Cheatle, the former director of the Secret Service, stepped down from his position following intense questioning from lawmakers during a congressional hearing. The focus of the inquiry was the agency’s security lapses, which resulted in the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania.
According to Greene, FEMA is confiscating supplies, blocking aid to Hurricane survivors, and misusing disaster relief funds to provide housing for undocumented individuals. Greene called for Deanne to resign.
We have reached out to Criswell for comment via an email sent to FEMA. Additionally, we have contacted Greene’s office for further comment via email.
The Disaster Relief Fund serves as a dedicated fund specifically allocated for disaster relief efforts. It is important to note that the funds designated for this purpose have not been redirected towards any non-disaster related projects or initiatives.
FEMA clarified that the allegations of the agency rejecting donations, halting donation trucks, and seizing supplies are all untrue. They emphasized that assistance is provided to survivors without any discrimination based on factors such as race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressed concerns over funding on Wednesday, stating that while FEMA is able to address immediate needs, it lacks the necessary funding to sustain operations throughout the hurricane season.
Contrary to Trump’s repeated claims, the financial challenges faced by FEMA are not a result of the agency’s funds being spent on migrants.
FEMA distributes funds for the Shelter and Services Program, which aims to reimburse communities and organizations that support migrants. According to FEMA’s website, approximately $640 million will be allocated for this program in the 2024 fiscal year.
The funds, however, do not come from the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. Instead, they are sourced from a separate allocation of funds approved by Congress for Customs and Border Protection.
Congress recently approved $20 billion to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund, which is the existing level of funding for FEMA. This decision was made as part of a stopgap spending bill to fund the government through December 20. However, Congress did not authorize any additional funds for disaster relief.
The House and Senate approved the bill shortly before Helene made landfall. The measure received opposition from Republicans, including Greene and over two dozen other lawmakers representing the affected states.
Before Helene hit, there were concerns about FEMA’s budget. The agency had to impose spending restrictions due to its multi-billion-dollar deficit.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, expressed the Biden administration’s disappointment regarding the exclusion of additional disaster funding in the stopgap spending bill.
“We have been actively engaged in this endeavor. Therefore, if they are truly committed, they should begin working earnestly to accomplish that task,” she emphasized. She firmly refuted the claims that the Biden administration is utilizing FEMA funding to assist migrants, stating that such allegations are completely untrue.
In a letter on Friday, Biden called on congressional leaders to approve additional funding, after having visited the affected areas to assess the devastation caused by Helene earlier this week.
In a recent statement, he highlighted that although the Disaster Relief Fund of FEMA currently possesses the necessary resources to address immediate needs, there is a projected shortfall by the end of the year.
FEMA would have to prioritize urgent needs and sacrifice longer-term recovery activities if it doesn’t receive additional funding. Congress must allocate more resources to FEMA to prevent such unnecessary trade-offs. This will provide the communities we serve with the assurance that help will be available in the short and long term.
Lawmakers were also urged to take immediate action in order to restore funding to the disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration.