A group of House Republicans is advocating for changes in how funds are managed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expedite aid delivery to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., is spearheading a new bill that aims to transfer unspent funds from FEMA related to the COVID-19 pandemic and previous natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina into the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.
This initiative comes ahead of a crucial hearing by the House Oversight Committee following allegations of politicization of FEMA aid. The committee is concerned about reports of a FEMA official instructing relief workers to avoid homes displaying support for President Donald Trump.
The bill proposed by Palmer has garnered support from a diverse group of GOP lawmakers, including members of the House Freedom Caucus and more moderate Republicans.
Various proposals are being considered in Congress to ensure prompt allocation of funds to FEMA's disaster relief fund. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has indicated the need for an additional $40 billion in funding to support ongoing recovery efforts from recent storms.
The White House has requested an additional $98 billion in disaster relief funding from Congress, with bipartisan congressional leaders pledging swift action upon receiving a formal request from the Biden administration.
Hurricane Helene, which struck the U.S. Southeast in late September, resulted in significant casualties and extensive damage, with North Carolina alone reporting over 100 fatalities. The storm is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in destruction, potentially making it one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.
