Rep. Troy Carter Urges Congress to Replenish FEMA Disaster Relief Fund

Data News Staff Edited Report

Last week Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) sent a bipartisan letter to House leadership and House Appropriations Committee leaders urging Congressional Action to replenish FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), and Neal Dunn (R-FL) joined Congressman Carter on this request.

The DRF is the primary funding source for the federal government’s Disaster Relief Programs. It funds “Direct Disaster Programs,” which are the Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA), and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Programs. On August 7th, FEMA announced that the DRF had become depleted and implemented Immediate Needs Funding (INF)—redirecting money from other programs to respond to the most urgent, lifesaving needs. Though FEMA can still respond to immediate disasters, implementing INF will result in stalled payments for past disasters and grant awards, potential staff furloughs, and delays in future disaster planning measures. These delayed payments put communities at risk of future disasters by halting critical disaster planning and hazard mitigation construction projects. The agency projects a DRF Deficit of over $6 billion by the end of FY2024 without supplemental appropriations.

“Storms don’t discriminate and it’s more important than ever that we work together to save lives and prepare our communities,” said Rep. Carter. “By replenishing FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, we’re ensuring that the federal government isn’t only responding to current disasters, but also actively rebuilding from past events and mitigating future disasters. It’s imperative that Congress acts again soon to make up this deficit so that we have a fully functioning FEMA, especially now in the middle of hurricane season.”

“As the former Emergency Management Director for Florida, the financial state of FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund is incredibly troubling. This is the second year in a row that Congress has let the Disaster Relief Fund be depleted. I introduced H.R. 8716 in June to avoid this scenario, but Congress has unfortunately become far too reactive instead of proactive. We must demonstrate to the American people that our government still works and can carry out basic functions like helping those impacted by disaster recover in their hour of greatest need. Emergency Management is something that shouldn’t ever be politicized or used as a bargaining chip, and I’m thankful to my colleagues across the aisle for joining me in calling for this funding,” said Rep. Moskowitz.

“In Florida, we’re no strangers to natural disasters and the long recovery process that follows,” said Rep. Cammack. “The Disaster Relief Fund is a useful tool to get communities back on their feet and to help those in need recover from these life-altering events, but it only works when it has the necessary funds to help the American people. I’m glad to join Rep. Moskowitz and my bipartisan colleagues in calling on Congress to refresh the DRF.”

“FEMA is often the first line of recovery when disaster strikes, making it crucial to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund so that communities in North Florida have the support they need,” said Rep. Dunn. “These funds must be appropriated ahead of time to ensure a swift response. It’s vital that appropriation discussions take into account the disaster preparedness needs of American communities.”