The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can meet immediate needs but does not have enough funding to make it through the hurricane season.
According to him, FEMA is already being stretched in assessing damage from Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida last week, plowing through several states in the Southeast, flooding towns and killing more than 160 people.
"We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting," Mayorkas said. "FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season." Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30, but most hurricanes typically occur in September and October.
He suggested to President Joe Biden and some lawmakers that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill this fall to help states with recovery efforts.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris fanned out across the Southeast to witness the damage from the hurricane and claimed to demonstrate commitment and competence in helping devastated communities. Biden is heading to North and South Carolina, while Harris is going to Georgia.
Meanwhile, Congress recently replenished a key source of FEMA's response efforts, providing $20 billion for the agency's disaster relief fund as part of a short-term government spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 20. The bill also gave FEMA flexibility to draw on the money more quickly, as needed.
Incidentally, critics are pointing out that it has just been a month since Mayorkas announced that the U.S. will spend a record $454 million to secure mostly Jewish institutions.
The Times of Israel reported back in August that the federal government will spend nearly $150 million more this year than it did in 2023 ($305 million) to secure religious organizations. DHS said that the money will be spent on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which funds security enhancements at houses of worship and religious organizations. Analysts emphasize that this has been the largest sum ever allocated toward the program.
"The funds announced today will provide communities across the country with vital resources necessary to strengthen their security and guard against terrorism and other threats," Mayorkas, who is Jewish, said in a statement back then. "The impact of these grants will be measured in lives saved and tragedies averted."
Most of the funding has historically gone to Jewish institutions such as synagogues, day schools and other religious organizations.
"The funds are available to all denominations facing credible threats, and in recent years Muslim and Black Christian institutions have applied for funds, often with the guidance of Jewish groups more experienced in the application process," the Israeli multi-language online newspaper reported.
FEMA: Letting Americans die while allocating $640 million for non-citizen migrants
Amid the controversy of FEMA losing funds to even conduct operations to recover bodies of those Hurricane Helene left dead, DHS just allocated over $640 million to assist with the arrival of noncitizen migrants.
Of the said amount, $300 million will be distributed through the State and Local Assistance Program (SSP-A), while $340.9 million is set aside for competitive funding.
With Helene having already caused catastrophic damage across multiple states, the agency claims to be struggling to keep up with recovery efforts. More than 150,000 households have registered for help. It is expected that over time, the numbers will still increase, said Frank Matranga, an agency representative.
Observers also point out that there's no clear sign that Congress will reconvene ahead of schedule to address this shortfall, especially since most of them are busy campaigning for the election.
Even House Speaker Mike Johnson has shown little interest in changing the legislative calendar, even as some lawmakers push for a supplemental spending bill to keep FEMA afloat.
Hurricane Helene's victims might just be left waiting for help that won't arrive in time. Worse, another hurricane is coming. People are worried that if something doesn't change soon, many Americans could find themselves stranded without the assistance they so desperately need.
