A group of House Republicans is calling for changes to how funds are managed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene more quickly.
House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., is spearheading a new bill that would transfer unspent funds to the agency from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as previous natural disasters. Certain unspent funds earmarked for such as Hurricane Katrina, in the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.
It comes just hours before a high-stakes House Oversight Committee hearing on allegations of politicization of FEMA aid.
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House GOP Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer is out with a new proposal to overhaul FEMA funding. (Getty Images)
“Millions of Americans were affected by the devastating hurricanes, and many still seek help and assistance from FEMA to this day. Reports have now surfaced that a FEMA official recently directed relief workers to Avoid houses showing support for President Donald Trump,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky. announced the hearing last week.
“Not only are these actions by a FEMA employee completely unacceptable, but the committee is deeply concerned that this is not an isolated incident at the agency.”
Palmer’s bill has support from a broad spectrum of GOP lawmakers, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, such as Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla. From more moderate Republicans, such as Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Young Kim, R-Calif.
It’s one of several solutions proposed in Congress to help get dollars into FEMA’s disaster fund more quickly.
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Parts of North Carolina, such as Chimney Rock, were hit hard by Helene. (Getty Images)
FEMA Administrator Dan Croswell told reporters Monday that his agency “will receive approximately An additional $40 billion in funding will be needed.”
The White House also requested an additional $98 billion in disaster relief funding from Congress.
Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have pledged to act quickly after receiving a formal request from the Biden administration.
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Helen devastated the southeastern United States in late September, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone.
It is also estimated to cause loss of billions of dollars.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously told Fox News Digital that he believes it could be one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.
