Tag: fema

Untapped Relief: FEMA Is Sitting on Billions of Unused Disaster Funds

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Congress last month that it had $4 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund, officials also warned that the Fund could have a shortfall of $6 billion by year’s end, a situation FEMA says could deteriorate in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

While FEMA is expected to ask Congress for new money, budget experts note a surprising fact: FEMA is currently sitting on untapped reserves appropriated for past disasters stretching back decades. 

An August report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General noted that in 2022, FEMA “estimated that 847 disaster declarations with approximately $73 billion in unliquidated funds remained open.” 

Drilling down on that data, the OIG found that $8.3 billion of that total was for disasters declared in 2012 or earlier.

Such developments are part of a larger pattern in which FEMA failed to close out specific grant programs “within a certain timeframe, known as the period of performance (POP),” according to the IG report. Those projects now represent billions in unliquidated appropriations that could potentially be returned to the DRF (Disaster Relief Fund).”

These “unliquidated obligations” reflect the complex federal budgeting processes. Safeguards are important so that FEMA funding doesn’t become a slush fund that the agency can spend however it chooses, budget experts said, but the inability to tap unspent appropriations from long-ago crises complicates the agency’s ability to respond to immediate disasters.

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As North Carolina Flood Victims Begged For Help, Mayorkas Went Boutique Shopping In Georgetown: Report

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reportedly went on a luxury shopping spree in Georgetown this weekend as residents across southern Appalachia continue to beg for emergency supplies.

“Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House of Representatives earlier this year for his handling of the border crisis, was spotted by the Washington Free Beacon strolling through the mens section of Sid Mashburn, a high-end menswear store, surrounded by security,” the Washington Free Beacon reported Saturday. “He appeared to purchase some items at the store, where suit jackets go for as much as three thousand dollars.”

The Beacon noted that there are still more than 170,000 power outages in North Carolina “alone” and the death toll from Hurricane Helene stands at 227. Residents across flooded out regions of southern Appalachia, however, have been left without immediate disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency Mayorkas oversees as part of the Department of Homeland Security.

“They desperately need oxygen for stranded home-bound seniors. They need food, clean water, and shelter,” The Federalist’s Matt Kittle reported Friday. “Sadly, they also need bodybags.”

Residents have “been literally begging FEMA officials for critical supplies.”

Hurricane Helene crashed into Florida as a Category 4 storm and poured a record-breaking 40 trillion gallons of water across the South, washing away entire Appalachian towns. FEMA is typically proactive in disaster-response efforts, with pre-staged supplies set up where storms are estimated to hit, but such support was completely absent before the torrential downpours in Appalachia.

Last week, Mayorkas responded to the crisis by telling reporters FEMA was low on money.

“FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season,” Mayorkas warned on Air Force One. “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have.”

While the residents of washed-out communities would dispute that their needs are being met by the federal government, FEMA has spent over a billion dollars in disaster funding on illegal migrants. FEMA’s website says the agency allocated nearly $364 million in the fiscal year 2023 and $650 million for the 2024 fiscal year to the “Shelter and Services Program” “to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).’”

“Over the last 4 years the Biden-Harris admin has steadily transformed FEMA — the agency responsible for responding to natural disasters like Hurricane Helene — into an illegal alien resettlement agency that emphasizes DEI over public safety,” reported America First Legal, a conservative non-profit, which published a series of posts outlining where FEMA spent tax dollars.

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A Feckless, Vindictive, and Weaponized U.S. Federal Government – Now O for 3 in Disaster Response

The FEMA Spokesperson, Jaclyn Rothenberg, may have locked down her “X” account temporarily as was reported; in fairness though it was open when I checked.  However, of the top 11 “X”s for Jaclyn Rotheberg, six the 11 (55%) were re-“X’s” of attacks on Donald J. Trump, lessons on dis-information, and accusatory reports of dis-information.  As a former press officer, I would suggest that the FEMA Spokesperson focus on success stories of what the U.S. Government is accomplishing and the next steps of the response and recovery effort.  Spending the majority of social media time on shutting down others does not reflect well on U.S. Government efforts to save American lives and properties.

On the 12th “X” from Jaclyn Rothenberg, I had to a little math.  The “X” was a good news story on aid to South Carolina.  There is nothing wrong with this – the story presented hard metrics on effective delivery of Federal Government Services.  It said, “In South Carolina, FEMA has delivered over $4.7 million to over 5,700 households”; sounds impressive, but that is only $824 per household.  This is where the Harris response and recovery story falls apart.  $824 is not much for a household that was just wiped out or damaged.  Many Americans are outraged at the crazed give away of pre-paid debit cards to illegal aliens.  The New York Times wants to quibble and argue that the cards for illegals are not $10,000 debit cards, but the reality is that in New York City, the cards are being loaded at $350 a week which is $18,200 a year. This is on top of many other perks and benefits.  If FEMA was delivering equal support for U.S. Citizens, they might not have to spend 55% of their “X” time attacking and silencing others.

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FEMA: A Warning on the Bureaucratic Mind

The fact that FEMA and fire authorities have tried to prevent people from rescuing others is not just an indictment of the individuals doing that. It’s not even just an indictment of FEMA and those paricular fire departments.

It’s not even just an indictment of the Biden administration.

It shows us two thing that happen in a society where people defer authority to the State on nearly everything.

First, many people themselves become helpless.

Second, the agents of the State become heartless.

The more the State takes sole responsibility for compassion, protection and rescue, the more it becomes a bureaucratic task the agents of the State own.

Their individual morality doesn’t increase in these jobs-it declines. Because it’s just a job.

And the bureaucratic mindset intrudes. Eventually, these people are more interested in protecting their turf than in the reason the job exists in the first place.

Protecting the fact that this is ‘the governments business’ becomes more important than actually saving people.

It begins sensibly enough. There are reasons why a cordon is established around an emergency. There are times where it makes sense to ‘leave it to the experts’. But institutions strip people of individual accountability and judgement.

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The Truth About FEMA and Hurricane Helene

I want to open this article by asking people to pray for those impacted by the hurricane.

While FEMA and Harris may be leaving these people behind, God will not.

The situation in the North Carolina area impacted by the Hurricane is dire.

There are numerous credible reports of death counts likely exceeding a thousand people and almost the final tallies will almost certainly exceed those of Hurricane Katrina of New Orleans fame.

The difference between Helene and Katrina couldn’t be more stark.

Both were devastating but Bush was sending aid immediately and being excoriated by the media (I’m no fan of Bush but facts are facts) while Harris/Biden are on the beach or having parties while FEMA is reportedly BLOCKING aid and the mainstream is ignoring it.

I wanted to share some facts and other info on this national tragedy.

Tom Renz’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

First of all, let’s be clear about what is happening with FEMA.

First they claimed there was no money for hurricane season. Once the American public literally hit the roof over the fact that FEMA is absolutely funding illegals but doesn’t have money for Americans the fact checkers got moving.

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FEMA Public Affairs Chief Locks Her X Account Amid Outrage Over Agency’s Disastrous Hurricane Response

FEMA Public Affairs Director Jaclyn Rothenberg locked her X account Saturday amid widespread outrage over the agency’s disastrous hurricane response in affected states.

How ironic, given Rothenberg is the agency’s “seasoned on-the-record spokesperson” whose only task is media relations and crisis communications.

FEMA’s website explains Rothenberg’s role in the agency:

Jaclyn is an appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration and was sworn in as the Director of Public Affairs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in July 2021. Jaclyn is a public affairs, media relations, crisis communications strategist and seasoned on-the-record spokesperson. She has advised C-suite executives, high-profile elected officials, and political leaders operating on national and local stages. With nearly 15 years of experience, she understands the varying perspectives media, state, local and congressional leaders have on key issues and approaches her work with anticipation of how each stakeholder will react. 

However, Rothenberg’s official government account remains open.

Rothenberg’s move comes as the agency faces heavy criticism for its delayed response to the devastation left by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, with over 220 dead, hundreds missing, and millions of people still left without power over a week after the storm ripped through the South.

FEMA has not only been slow to respond, but according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the agency doesn’t even have the funding to adequately address the crisis.

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Rep. Nancy Mace Exposes FEMA’s Lies, Introduces Bill to End Wasteful Shelter and Services Program Amidst Hurricane Helene Crisis

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) announced on Friday that she has introduced legislation aimed at terminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program (SSP).

Mace blasted the program as a colossal misuse of taxpayer dollars that prioritizes illegal immigrants over American disaster victims, and her bill proposes redirecting all unspent SSP funds to aid Americans struggling to recover from natural disasters like Hurricane Helene.

“It’s unacceptable for Americans to grapple with the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Helene while the federal government remains fixated on spending hundreds of millions on a program sheltering illegal immigrants instead of helping our own citizens,” said Representative Nancy Mace.

“Kamala Harris and Alejandro Mayorkas have turned FEMA into a migrant resettlement agency. It’s time to end this mess.”

According to FEMA’s own reports, the Shelter and Services Program allocated $364 million in the 2023 fiscal year and another staggering $650 million for 2024 to provide shelter, food, healthcare, and even hotel accommodations for noncitizen migrants.

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FEMA an Even Bigger Disaster Than the Storms Themselves — and How it Can Be Replaced

This is more of a think piece than an article, so please stay with me here.  It’s based on decades of public health and disaster management work I’ve been involved with during my career. 

I first got involved in this while working as an executive at Lexington County Hospital, across the river from the state Capital of Columbia in South Carolina.  I’ve had similar positions at other county and city hospitals, including such disaster areas as Flint, Michigan’s city hospital.  In all cases, those hospitals were responsible for public health in the counties and cities they served.

At Lexington County Hospital, we were hit by Hurricane David – not just hit, but for roughly eight hours, the eye of the storm seemed to hover right on top of our hospital, which was in itself frightening. 

Nowhere near as big as Helene, even a relatively mild hurricane like David is a monster storm. Until you’ve seen water blown into the hospital through the brick wall, you have no idea what a deluge coming at you at 85 miles per hour can do – let alone Helene’s 140 miles per hour winds – you really can’t appreciate the damage it can do.  I do know that when David was approaching, I evacuated my family – my wife and infant son, but not our pet Sheltie, “Pumpkin” – into the hospital.  This protected them – hospitals are built to withstand such winds and environmental violence – so I could focus on doing my job without worrying about their safety.

In this South Carolina community, the Army at nearby Fort Jackson provided helicopter emergency medivac – medical and evacuation services. This was great, real-life training for the Army helicopter and air-rescue crews, and it provided excellent med-evac services for our five-county region. 

This got me involved in what the military have to offer in the realm of support services during a natural disaster.  Later, I worked with a hospital in Jacksonville, on the North Carolina coast, and immediately adjacent to Marine Corps Camp LeJeune.  During my time with them, both Hurricane Fran and Hurricane Floyd slammed into the North Carolina coast with winds of up to 137 and 122 miles per hour, respectively.  The disaster rivaled Helene’s impact, but in a much smaller scale.

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FEMA under Biden now CONFISCATING donations made to Hurricane Helene survivors

Social media is abuzz with reports that the Biden regime is working against the people of Appalachia when it comes to victims of Hurricane Helene receiving donations and supplies for recovery.

An individual named Alicia Schubert told a story on Facebook about how the aid that recently arrived from the Red Cross and FEMA was confiscated by the Biden regime, preventing it from being distributed to people in need.

“Starting with Davy Crockett High School, they are taking over all volunteer schools in Washington County and Greene County,” Schubert claimed in a post about the situation in eastern Tennessee.

“In order for anyone to get donations that were given, they must be approved. All monetary donations have been taken as well and placed into a TEMA account. If you are unaware of how that works, those items don’t all get used for this particular disaster.”

Schubert says that volunteers who arrived to the damaged areas are being turned away and told to leave. The only ones who are allowed to stay are those who first get trained by United Way, she says.

“Please, I know I already made a post on Red Cross and FEMA the other day, but please if you donate, donate to a church or give to individuals,” Schubert urges.

“They cannot take supplies from churches! Church members will make sure your donations get into the correct hands.”

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Whistleblowers Blow the Lid Off of FEMA: Pre-Disaster Funds Allegedly Withheld and First Responders Left in Limbo Without Orders Before Hurricane Helene Strikes

Multiple whistleblowers have come forward to expose the mismanagement at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just as Hurricane Helene devastates the southeastern U.S.

According to a letter from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whistleblowers allege that FEMA withheld critical pre-disaster funds and failed to issue deployment orders to first responders, leaving Americans stranded in the wake of the storm.

In a bombshell letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) outlined a litany of complaints from whistleblowers across federal, state, and local emergency management agencies.

According to these whistleblowers, FEMA’s failure to release necessary funds and provide clear orders has left “hundreds if not thousands” of service members and first responders in limbo, as they sit idle in hotels while the southeastern U.S. suffers the devastating effects of Helene, according to the Daily Mail.

The allegations come as FEMA’s credibility continues to crumble under mounting evidence of gross mismanagement. This follows Mayorkas’s admission that FEMA “does not have enough funds to make it through the hurricane season.”

How is this possible, given that Congress just approved a $20 billion emergency package for FEMA? The whistleblowers claim the agency is diverting resources to other priorities—specifically, providing aid to illegal immigrants and using taxpayer dollars to cover the costs of border enforcement failures.

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