FEMA Isn't Running Out of Hurricane Relief Money Due to Migrant Aid
By Anna Rascouët-Paz
As the U.S. Southeast recovered from Hurricane Helene's destruction in early October 2024, rumors spread on the internet that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was running out of money for its relief programs even before hurricane season was over.
Some internet users further claimed that victims of Hurricane Helene would receive only $750 because, according to them, FEMA had already spent more than $1 billion on shelter and services for undocumented immigrants
Other posts claimed that the $750 was in fact just a loan, which recipients had one year to repay lest FEMA seize their property
On Oct. 7, 2024, former U.S. President Donald Trump shared these rumors on his Truth Social account. He added that "billions of dollars were going to foreign countries" while the government abandoned North Carolina .
FEMA Funding in 2024
While it's true Mayorkas warned that FEMA was running out of funds for disaster relief, the realities of how the agency is funded and how it deploys its funding are much more complicated than online rumor-mongers claim. FEMA, like other U.S. government agencies, obtains its funding through an appropriations process in the U.S. Congress, which means it cannot simply reallocate funds authorized for one program to another.
On Oct. 2, Mayorkas told reporters FEMA's purse was close to empty and expressed concern for the agency's ability to help victims of any more natural disasters, especially as hurricane season hadn't ended. "We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting," he said. "FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season."
For the full year 2024, the U.S. Congress appropriated $20.26 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, according to HR 2882, also know as the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. The DRF is the fund from which FEMA draws disaster assistance in case of destructive events such as Hurricane Helene (emphasis ours):
Disaster Relief Fund
For necessary expenses in carrying out the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), $20,261,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That such amount shall be for major disasters declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and is designated by the Congress as being for disaster relief pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
However the country faced 20 so-called "billion-dollar disasters" as of early October 2024, including Hurricane Helene. In comparison, the average from 2014 to 2023 was about 17 such events per year (up from 12 a year between 2010 and 2019). Because of this increase in major disasters, the funding provided for FEMA's DRF was insufficient, and the program required additional funding. This is what Mayorkas was referring to in his statement.
Due to this state of affairs, FEMA implemented so-called Immediate Needs Funding guidance, whereby the agency covers, in particular, "lifesaving and life-sustaining activities," but holds off on any other new obligations. Still, this was not enough, and the both the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. President Joe Biden said they would request supplemental funds to cover the rest of the hurricane season. This was especially significant as Florida braced for Hurricane Milton.
On Sept. 25, 2024, however, Congress passed a stopgap bill to extend funding for the rest of the year. The bill apportioned $20 billion to DHS, and added that the agency could use the money for disaster relief:
Sec. 134. Amounts made available by section 101 to the Department of Homeland Security under the heading "Federal Emergency Management Agency—Disaster Relief Fund" may be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to carry out response and recovery activities under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
Regardless of legislative developments, FEMA clarified that it did have sufficient funding to cover the cost of Hurricane Helene. It elaborated on the topic on a page the agency set up to dispel unfounded rumors:
FEMA has enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs. If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance as there is a variety of help available for different needs.
$750 'Serious Needs Assistance' Is for Urgent, Immediate Needs
Further, the claim that Hurricane Helene victims would receive "only $750" is false. In an Oct. 3 speech, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the following: "And the federal relief and assistance that we have been providing has included FEMA providing $750 for folks who need immediate needs being met, such as food, baby formula and the like. And you can apply now,"
Harris was referring to a specific type of assistance (Serious Needs Assistance) FEMA offers to help victims pay for urgent supplies such as groceries and medications in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. However, that $750 was by no means the only assistance the agency could provide victims of Hurricane Helene. The agency's rumor-busting page read:
One type of assistance that is often approved quickly after you apply is Serious Needs Assistance, which is $750 to help pay for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies. There are other forms of assistance that you may qualify to receive once you apply for disaster assistance. As your application continues to be reviewed, you may still receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as support for temporary housing and home repair costs.
The claim that FEMA assistance is only a loan is also false. On a different myth-debunking page on its website, FEMA clarified that FEMA disaster assistance need not be repaid. FEMA grants are designed for immediate relief. For longer-term recovery, FEMA may refer those affected by disasters to low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Though it is a different agency, the SBA lends the money through FEMA. Nor is the money reserved solely for small-business owners, as the loans can also support home repairs, personal property replacement, vehicles and other necessities for individuals and small businesses after a disaster.
Separately, Congress has appropriated a total of $640.9 million for shelter and other services to noncitizen migrant arrivals in 2024, down from $780 million in 2023. FEMA distributes this support to nonfederal organizations in localities that welcome migrants across the country. It does this through its Shelter and Food program for people at risk of homelessness, outside of disaster situations. Over two years, support for migrants totaled $1.42 billion, about 7% of the total appropriated for the DRF in 2024 alone.
The Appropriations Process
The appropriations process in the U.S. Congress is a legislative one. Funding resolutions must first go through subcommittees. FEMA is the purview of the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management subcommittee, part of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In October 2024, the subcommittee's chair was Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the appropriations process starts with the White House, which each year submits an annual budget to Congress, while each agency and department share "detailed budget justifications" to each committee. Subcommittees then hold hearings, draft bills, send them to the full committee. At any point of the process, members can propose amendments. Then the House votes on the bills and sent them to the Senate. Like any other bill, the Senate can decide to "filibuster" the bills — that is, to start debates on them unless and until 60 senators vote to pass them.
Once Congress appropriates the funds, agencies and departments may not spend less than what they receive, nor can they spend more than they receive, aside from few exceptions. They also cannot spend the funds for any other purpose than the one for which they received them. In other words, given that Congress appropriated $1.42 billion for services and shelter to noncitizen migrants, FEMA did not have the authorization to reallocate that amount to disaster relief, or vice versa.
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