A second major hurricane this month is hurtling toward the United States, with the latest one expected to be even more devastating than the last, with the government demanding millions of dollars worth of damage. There are growing concerns about how this will be financed.
Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) underfunded? Will Congress approve disaster relief?
Here's what we know:
According to the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general report in August, FEMA has $7 billion available for recovery efforts from Hurricanes Milton and Helen.
FEMA has a stash of funds earmarked for recovery from old natural disasters dating back to 2012's Superstorm Sandy. But Mr Fox is said to have given an “incomplete picture” of how much money is available in the IG report. FEMA disputes that all funds are recoverable, suggesting only about $4.5 billion is not obligated and could be reprogrammed.
This still means that some funds could potentially be available and returned to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for “urgent needs”. DRF is committed to immediate preparedness for and response to natural disasters. This includes providing food and shelter to people, rescuing people, providing people with immediate money, transportation, and more.
This photo shows commuters driving east on Interstate 75 away from Florida's west coast ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 8, 2024. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
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Fox was told Congress would need to vote to “reprogram” the old money. Additionally, old disaster relief funds that have been reprogrammed can only be returned to the DRF. It does not apply to larger “additional” spending bills to help recover from these storms. Its price tag will likely be more than $1 billion.
Once some of that funding begins to dry up after these two major storms, it will be up to Congress to decide whether to reprogram some of that funding to address DRF's immediate needs.
Under the Individual Assistance Program, government agencies often immediately approve $750 for each household for food, clothing, and groceries.
Disaster survivors may also be eligible for up to $42,500 in housing financial assistance. It can be used to make home repairs or pay up to 18 months of rent. Applications for this program tend to take longer for FEMA to process. There are also programs through the Small Business Administration, FEMA, and other federal programs that provide tens of thousands of dollars to help disaster survivors rebuild.
Meanwhile, lawmakers secured about $20 billion in immediate funding for FEMA in last month's short-term federal funding bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) predicted Helen's tragedy would be “one of the most costly” the United States has ever experienced.
initial estimate Privately insured losses due to Helen are estimated at approximately $11 billion. Milton is currently classified as a Category 3 hurricane and is expected to cause even more damage.
A sculpture of Poseidon is seen after Hurricane Milton passes off the coast of Progreso, Mexico, on October 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
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Congress is not expected to return early from its pre-election recess to address the issue.
“The thing about hurricanes and disasters of this magnitude is that it takes time to calculate the true cost. It's going to take time for each state to calculate that,” Johnson said on Fox News. .
But Fox is increasingly hearing from many conservatives who are ready to meet the fiscal demands of hurricanes Milton and Helen. They are happy to spend money, but are increasingly itching to cut back on spending to offset the costs of the storm. Some of those requests may call for programs that address Democratic priorities.
But House Republican leaders disagree that an offset will materialize.
“That's not going to happen. That's never going to happen,” the source said. “This will just be credited to your credit card.”
The idea of cutting elsewhere to create an offset makes sense, but may not be politically possible.
“Please tell me where we can get the votes to do that,” asked one of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Additionally, the federal government is already in fiscal year 2025 with no agreed-upon maximum spending amount.
Additionally, fiscal hawks tried to make similar cuts after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but they failed.
“And that's not going to work now,” the Republican official said.
Prime Minister Johnson said he was “alarmed and disappointed” by comments by Biden officials in the immediate aftermath of the storm suggesting FEMA involvement. too little funds To deal with Helen's anger.
A van is seen in floodwaters near Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Biden suggested this week that he may want Congress to reconvene for an emergency session to pass additional disaster relief legislation.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this week that while the agency is “meeting the immediate needs” caused by the hurricanes, “FEMA does not have the funds to get us through the season.”
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Criticism of FEMA's response has led some conservatives to argue that the Biden administration will divert disaster relief funds to help illegal immigrants at the border through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which was allocated about $650 million last year. They are accusing them of misappropriation.
Both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security have strongly denied any connection between disaster relief and SSP beyond what FEMA administers, stating that disaster relief funds are not used to support immigrant housing services. He said that the claim that it was true was false.
FOX News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
