The Federal Emergency Management Agency is preparing to withhold $8 billion in disaster recovery funding from states and territories until Congress replenishes its coffers — one of a host of spending decisions mired in the stalemate that’s threatening a government shutdown. Thomas Frank discovered the plan for the self-imposed funding restriction in the fine print of a recent FEMA report. It is intended to ensure the agency can respond to the immediate needs of future emergencies (by clearing roads and sheltering displaced residents, for example) while it waits for Congress to replenish its coffers. But clawing back long-term recovery funds threatens to delay thousands of projects in 27 states and territories aimed at repairing roads, buildings and other facilities damaged by recent disasters. Puerto Rico is projected to suffer the greatest loss. FEMA plans to withhold $2.6 billion, as the financially strained island struggles to rebuild the electric grid, hospitals and other critical facilities still wrecked from Hurricane Maria in 2017, earthquakes in 2020 and Hurricane Fiona in 2022. Florida and Louisiana also face significant impacts from the FEMA restrictions, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. How did we get here? President Joe Biden requested $16 billion in emergency disaster cash for the agency’s dwindling Disaster Relief Fund, and FEMA is seeking an additional $20 billion for the fund in the fiscal year that begins Sunday. Money for both requests is stalled, though, as squabbling House Republicans barrel toward Saturday’s midnight deadline to keep the government running. A proposed stopgap bill in the Senate would offer about $6 billion in disaster relief. Meanwhile, a hotter planet is fueling an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and recovery efforts and aid are struggling to keep up. Since last month’s devastating wildfires in Hawaii, FEMA has declared at least 15 more major disasters, bringing the total active count to 82 — not to mention pending requests from governors for additional emergency declarations. A senior FEMA official told Thomas that the agency may end up withholding even more money if Congress doesn’t approve new disaster funding on time. Oh, and there are still two months left in hurricane season.
|