As the federal response to Hurricane Helene becomes a focal point in the final stretch of the presidential campaign, US President Joe Biden’s administration is pushing back against former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims about the storm recovery efforts, as per USA Today.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell, appearing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, assured that FEMA has all the necessary resources to respond to Helene, which has severely impacted parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and other states.With North Carolina and Georgia being key swing states, the political implications of the recovery efforts have been increased.
Criswell dismissed Trump’s claims that disaster relief funds were being redirected to support undocumented immigrants, and that aid was being withheld from Republican regions. She called these accusations as “frankly ridiculous and just plain false.”
“This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,” Criswell said. “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people.”
Trump, who has consistently criticised the response, made a series of remarks during recent public appearances. At a rally in Michigan last week, he claimed, “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal immigrants,” alleging that this left FEMA with no resources for storm recovery. Trump went on to say, “They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants.”
FEMA’s Shelter and Services Programme allocates $650 million for humanitarian support to noncitizens after their detention, but this is separate from disaster relief funding. “No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. None,” clarified a White House statement.
Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that FEMA has adequate funds for immediate needs but may struggle if additional storms occur. “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas said, adding that further funds would be required for a full recovery.
Congress recently approved $20 billion for disaster relief, but Biden has indicated that additional funding will be needed to address future storms.
Meanwhile, Trump stepped up his criticism during a rally in Pennsylvania, focusing on the $750 payment FEMA offers to disaster victims to cover essential items. “Remember, $750 to people whose homes have been washed away, and yet we send tens of millions of dollars to foreign countries,” Trump said.
The Biden administration defended this initial payment, explaining that it is meant to cover urgent needs like food, water, and medication, with additional assistance potentially available after further assessment.