Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, is pushing for Congress to reconvene sooner rather than waiting until Nov. 12 to replenish disaster relief funds, citing the uncertainty of natural disasters that could occur before then. In late September, a short-term spending bill allowed FEMA to access $20 billion from its disaster relief fund. However, additional funding requested by the White House was not included in the bill. Hurricane Helene struck Florida’s Big Bend region before causing floods in Tennessee and North Carolina, followed by Hurricane Milton hitting Florida’s Siesta Key less than two weeks later. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell stated that the agency can currently support the needs of those affected by these hurricanes but expects to require more funds in the future.
President Biden called on lawmakers to act quickly on emergency funding, especially for Small Business Administration disaster money that is running low. However, he has not requested an earlier return to Congress from House Speaker Mike Johnson. Despite calls from bipartisan senators to reconvene in October, congressional leaders have not yet made a move to bring lawmakers back to Washington before Nov. 12 to address additional disaster funding. Johnson stated that FEMA has sufficient funding until Congress returns and that it would be premature to call everyone back, as the scope of the storms requires careful calculation.
Frost continues to advocate for proactive disaster funding to prepare for the ongoing hurricane season, which is predicted to be one of the worst in years. He argues that waiting until after more damage occurs is risky and that Congress should ensure FEMA has the necessary resources to deal with potential future disasters. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also emphasized the need for swift action from Congress to fund FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, especially considering the ongoing hurricane season and the increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change. President Biden announced $600 million in aid for areas affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, while touring the damaged region in Florida.
While some lawmakers are pushing for a quicker response to provide additional disaster relief aid, others, like Johnson, believe that FEMA’s current funding is adequate until Congress reconvenes in November. The debate revolves around the urgency of addressing the ongoing hurricane season and ensuring that FEMA has the necessary resources to assist those affected by natural disasters. The need for proactive measures to prepare for future disasters, in light of the unpredictability and severity of climate change-related extreme weather events, remains a central concern in the ongoing discussions surrounding disaster relief funding in Congress.
