FEMA has funds needed for 'immediate response and recovery,' despite Mayorkas' warning
Officials said they are keeping a close eye on the funding situation
By Adam Shaw , Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published October 3, 2024 4:52pm EDT
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the funds needed for "immediate response and recovery" in the wake of Hurricane Helene — even as Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned about a potential lack of money.
"FEMA has what it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts," spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg said on X. "As [Administrator Deanne Criswell] said, she has the full authority to spend against the President’s budget, but we’re not out of hurricane season yet so we need to keep a close eye on it."
The agency had recently lifted immediate needs funding, which allows the agency to focus on urgent efforts and pause non-urgent projects, but Rothenberg said the agency may still need to go back to that "and we will be watching it closely."
Mayorkas had grabbed headlines on Wednesday when he said that FEMA does not have enough funding to make it through hurricane season, which lasts until November.
"We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting," he said. "FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season."
Mayorkas spoke on Air Force Once as the states and the federal government assess the damage from Helene, which hit several states and has killed more than 160 people. His calls echoed those by President Biden, who said that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill to help states.
Congress recently made $20 billion in immediate funding available for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund as part of a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of last month. But Congress is currently out until mid-November, after Election Day.
Mayorkas later clarified his remarks at the same event, saying that the short-term funding does not give the agency stability.
more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fema-has-funds-needed-immediate-response-recovery-despite-mayorkas-warning
