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EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is criticizing the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene whereas warning the value tag for its restoration could possibly be “some of the costly” the U.S. has seen.
“There have been some fairly ominous projections, and so Congress acted appropriately,” Johnson advised Fox Information Digital Friday night, noting lawmakers freed up roughly $20 billion in fast funding for FEMA in final month’s short-term federal funding invoice. “However, to date, [President Biden, Vice President Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas] have failed in that response.”
Johnson stated he was “alarmed and dissatisfied” by Biden officers’ feedback instantly after the storm suggesting FEMA was too low on funds to cope with Helene’s wrath.
Mayorkas stated “we’re assembly the fast wants” of the hurricane earlier this week however stated “FEMA doesn’t have the funds to make it by means of the season.”
NORTH CAROLINA REELING FROM DEVASTATING HELENE AS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS: ‘NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS’
Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with Fox Information Digital after he toured areas in Florida and Georgia hit by Hurricane Helene. (Getty Photos)
Biden instructed earlier this week he might want Congress to return for an emergency session to go a supplemental catastrophe assist invoice.
“They’re scrambling to cowl their egregious errors and errors. And there is an effort guilty others or blame circumstances when that is simply purely an absence of management and response,” the speaker stated. He famous Mayorkas stated in July that FEMA was “tremendously ready” for climate crises this 12 months. Fox Information Digital reached out to the White Home and DHS for remark.
Johnson additionally argued lawmakers couldn’t act till an evaluation by state and native authorities produced projections of how a lot must be allotted.
“I do not suppose these estimates might conceivably be accomplished till a minimum of 30 days — till after the election, and that is when Congress can be again in session once more,” he stated.
HURRICANE HELENE: NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS FIGHT FOR THEIR SURVIVAL AS BASIC GOODS BECOME SCARCE
The Republican chief is not any stranger to hurricanes. He famous his native Louisiana remains to be coping with the injury from Hurricane Katrina as we speak, however his prediction was dire when requested about the price of restoration after Helene ravaged the Southeast, killing greater than 200 individuals.
He stated it could possibly be “some of the costly storms that the nation has ever encountered.”
“It impacts a minimum of six states — a broad swath of destruction throughout many, many areas — and I believe that is why it may take some time to evaluate,” Johnson stated.
Johnson criticized President Biden’s response to the storm. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP through Getty Photos)
“As quickly as these numbers are prepared, Congress can be ready to behave,” Johnson vowed at one other level.
“I actually hope the administration is working extra time proper now to … assist get them ready.”
As a part of fast response efforts, Johnson has toured areas in Georgia and Florida pummeled by the storm and is poised to go to hard-hit North Carolina within the coming days, he stated.
Criticism over FEMA’s response has prompted some conservatives to accuse the Biden administration of diverting catastrophe assist funds towards supporting unlawful immigrants on the border by means of the Shelter and Companies Program (SSP), which was allotted roughly $650 million within the final fiscal 12 months.
TRUMP TARGETS BIDEN, HARRIS OVER FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE: ‘INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED’
Each the White Home and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) have vigorously denied any hyperlink between catastrophe assist and SSP past each being administered by FEMA and have stated claims of any catastrophe reduction {dollars} getting used to help migrant housing providers are false.
“No catastrophe reduction funding in any respect was used to help migrants’ housing and providers. None. At. All,” White Home Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates stated in a memo on Friday. “Actually, the funding for communities to help migrants is immediately appropriated by Congress to CBP, and is merely administered by FEMA. The funding is by no means associated to FEMA’s response and restoration efforts.”
Johnson didn’t give a definitive reply when requested concerning the issues echoed on the proper, however he accused Mayorkas of mismanaging DHS.
Houses within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Oct. 2, 2024, in Chimney Rock Village, N.C. (AP Photograph/Mike Stewart)
“There’s quite a lot of controversy concerning the nonsense that the Mayorkas Division of Homeland Safety has engaged in. With their … harmful open-borders coverage after which the relocation efforts of taking unlawful aliens and transporting them across the nation,” Johnson stated. “We have now been working each day, Home Republicans, to cease the insanity.
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“And, so, what occurred is that FEMA, as a result of it’s a division of DHS, it’s very clear that they need to be targeted on serving to Individuals get better from disasters and never straining sources that go to different packages which are catering to illegals.”
When pressed on whether or not DHS was capable of divert congressionally appropriated funding for catastrophe assist into SSP, Johnson stated, “There are totally different packages which have totally different funding.”
He identified that Home Republicans are in search of to defund the SSP program within the present federal funding discussions for fiscal 12 months 2025.
“We’re doing the whole lot inside our energy to stop these abuses of the legislation and abuses of taxpayer {dollars} from the White Home and the Democratic Social gathering,” Johnson stated.
Fox Information Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report
