The White House has refuted Republican claims of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds mismanagement following Hurricane Helene.
What Happened: On Friday, Andrew Bates, the senior deputy press secretary, issued a memo accusing Republicans of propagating “bald-faced lies” about the post-Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts, reported The Hill.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have claimed that disaster relief funding was spent on migrants, criticizing the administration’s hurricane response.
Bates denied these allegations, saying, “No disaster relief funding at all was used to support migrants housing and services. None. At. All.”
He stated that Congress appropriates the funding for migrant support to Customs & Border Protection, and FEMA merely administers it.
Bates also noted that FEMA has already provided over $45 million in direct financial assistance to individuals and families affected by the storm. He cautioned against the potential harm of spreading false information, especially when people are in need.
On the same day, FEMA also released a fact-checking page, confirming that “no money has been diverted” and that it has sufficient funds for immediate response and recovery needs.
Why It Matters: Hurricane Helene, which hit on Sept. 26, caused significant damage and left nearly 800,000 people without power. The storm claimed more than 130 lives and caused widespread power outages, affecting over two million customers of Duke Energy Corp.
As a result of the hurricane, there was a surge in demand for backup and portable power generators.
President Joe Biden has urged Congress to reconvene from recess to approve more funding for recovery efforts, though lawmakers aren't scheduled to return until Nov. 12.
His administration has already sent over 4,800 federal personnel to aid in the response, and the president has authorized the deployment of up to 1,000 troops to assist with North Carolina's recovery, the report noted.
Biden visited North Carolina on Wednesday, followed by trips to Florida and Georgia on Thursday to assess the damage and meet with local leaders.
Previously, Republican presidential nominee Trump allegedly took credit for the deployment of Elon Musk-led Starlink satellites to aid communication restoration in areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
However, FEMA contradicted his statement, saying that the decision was already in place before Trump's alleged involvement.
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