House Republicans eye FEMA fund overhaul ahead of high-stakes hearing on Helene recovery

A radical of House Republicans is pushing to overhaul however funds are organized astatine the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to much rapidly get assistance to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., seat of the House GOP Policy Committee, is starring a caller measure that would determination unspent funds the bureau has from the COVID-19 pandemic, arsenic good arsenic definite unspent funds earmarked for erstwhile earthy disasters similar Hurricane Katrina, into the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.

It comes conscionable hours earlier the House Oversight Committee is acceptable to clasp a high-stakes proceeding implicit accusations that FEMA aid was politicized, with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell expected to testify.

"Millions of Americans were impacted by devastating hurricanes, and galore are inactive seeking assistance and assistance from FEMA to this day. Reports person present surfaced that a FEMA authoritative precocious instructed alleviation workers to debar homes displaying enactment for President Donald Trump," House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said past week erstwhile announcing the hearing.

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House GOP Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer is retired with a caller connection to reshuffle FEMA funds. (Getty Images)

"Not lone are these actions by a FEMA worker wholly unacceptable, but the committee remains profoundly acrophobic that this is not an isolated incidental astatine the agency."

Palmer’s measure is backed by a wide spectrum of GOP lawmakers, from House Freedom Caucus members, similar Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., to much mean Republicans, similar Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Young Kim, R-Calif.

It’s 1 of respective solutions projected successful Congress to assistance get much contiguous dollars to FEMA’s catastrophe fund. 

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Parts of North Carolina, similar Chimney Rock, were deed hard by Helene. (Getty Images)

Criswell told reporters connected Monday that her bureau "will request further backing of astir $40 cardinal beyond its 2025 fund petition to enactment the ongoing betterment efforts to these storms and conscionable our wide ngo requirements done the extremity of the fiscal year."

The White House besides requested $98 cardinal successful further catastrophe alleviation backing from Congress.

Congressional leaders connected some sides of the aisle person pledged to enactment swiftly erstwhile getting a ceremonial petition from the Biden administration.

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Helene ravaged portion of the U.S. Southeast successful precocious September, sidesplitting much than 100 radical successful North Carolina alone.

It’s estimated to person caused billions of dollars worthy of harm arsenic well.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously told Fox News Digital that helium believed it could beryllium 1 of the astir costly storms successful U.S. history.