Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene has referred to as on the administrator of the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), Deanne Criswell, to resign as the federal government physique continues to face criticism over its response to Hurricane Helene.
The dealing with of the aftermath of Helene has grow to be a political flashpoint within the last weeks of the election cycle. Republicans and residents in affected states have blasted FEMA for its response to the hurricane, which made landfall in Florida as a Class 4 storm on September 26 and carved a path of destruction because it moved north. One of many deadliest storms in U.S. historical past, Helene has claimed a minimum of 200 lives in six states.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and his allies have repeatedly pushed false claims that the company is diverting funds for catastrophe aid efforts to assist migrants.
“FEMA Director Deanne Criswell will probably be coming earlier than the Oversight Committee and can obtain the total Kimberly Cheatle therapy. In all probability worse,” Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote on X, previously Twitter.
Cheatle, the previous director of the Secret Service, resigned in July after being grilled by lawmakers throughout a congressional listening to concerning the company’s safety failures that led to the tried assassination try on Trump in Pennsylvania.
Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene questions then Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle throughout a Home Oversight Committee in Washington D,C. on July 22, 2024. Greene has referred to as for the resignation of the administrator of the Federal Emergency Administration Company.
Chris Kleponis/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Greene added that FEMA “is confiscating provides, blocking assist to Helene survivors, and utilizing catastrophe aid funds to deal with illegals. Resign Deanne.”
Newsweek has contacted Criswell for remark by way of an e mail to FEMA. Greene’s workplace has been contacted for additional remark by way of e mail.
In one other put up, Greene shared a video the place a FEMA worker expressed considerations about transgender migrants being misgendered in faith-based shelters.
“These are the unqualified idiots utilizing FEMA catastrophe aid funds to deal with migrants and FAILING western NC Hurricane Helene victims,” Greene wrote. “They hate Christians.”
On its web site, FEMA stated claims that catastrophe funds had been diverted to assist worldwide efforts or border-related points had been false.
The Catastrophe Reduction Fund is a “devoted fund for catastrophe efforts” and cash meant for the fund “has not been diverted to different, non-disaster associated efforts.”
FEMA additionally stated that claims that the company was turning away donations, stopping vehicles or autos with donations, confiscating and seizing provides are all false, and that assist is distributed “to survivors no matter race, coloration, nationwide origin, intercourse, sexual orientation, faith, age, incapacity, English proficiency or financial standing.”
Issues about funding got here as Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas informed reporters on Wednesday that FEMA can meet fast wants, however doesn’t have sufficient funding to make it by way of the hurricane season.
Trump has repeatedly alleged that FEMA’s cash points are as a result of the company’s funds are being spent on migrants—however that’s not the case.
Cash for the Shelter and Providers Program, which gives funds to reimburse communities and organizations taking in migrants, is distributed by FEMA. The company’s web site says it would administer about $640 million within the 2024 fiscal yr.
Nonetheless, that cash would not come from the company’s Catastrophe Reduction Fund, however from a separate pot of cash supplied by Congress for Customs and Border Safety.
Final week, Congress replenished the Catastrophe Reduction Fund with $20 billion—FEMA’s present degree— as a part of a stopgap spending invoice to fund the federal government by way of December 20, however declined to approve supplemental cash for catastrophe aid.
The invoice was accepted by the Home and Senate shortly earlier than Helene made landfall. The one lawmakers to vote towards the measure had been Republicans, together with Greene and greater than two dozen others who symbolize the states affected by Helene.
There have been considerations about FEMA’s finances earlier than Helene hit, with the company imposing spending restrictions because it confronted a multi-billion-dollar deficit.
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday stated President Joe Biden’s administration was “dissatisfied” that further catastrophe funding was not included within the stopgap spending invoice.
“If congressional Republicans had been critical—in the event that they had been actually, really critical—about doing one thing for the communities that had been impacted by Hurricane Helene, they’d be part of us in calling for added funding,” she stated.
“That is what we have been doing. And so, in the event that they’re critical, they’d get to—to work and get that accomplished.” She stated that allegations of the Biden administration utilizing FEMA funding to assist migrants are “categorically false.”
Biden, who traveled to survey the injury from Helene this week, urged congressional leaders to approve extra funding in a letter on Friday.
“Whereas FEMA’s Catastrophe Reduction Fund has the sources it requires proper now to satisfy fast wants, the fund does face a shortfall on the finish of the yr,” he wrote.
“With out further funding, FEMA could be required to forego longer-term restoration actions in favor of assembly pressing wants. The Congress ought to present FEMA further sources to keep away from forcing that sort of pointless trade-off and to offer the communities we serve the understanding of understanding that assist will probably be ongoing, each for the short- and long-term.”
He additionally referred to as on lawmakers to behave rapidly to revive funding to the Small Enterprise Administration’s catastrophe mortgage program.