FEMA warns Disaster Relief Fund perilously low amid DHS funding dispute, hurricane season coming
To stretch its funding for disaster relief, FEMA will continue funding many priority efforts, but activities that aren't essential to saving lives are paused.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday the agency is implementing unprecedented measures to stretch remaining disaster relief funds.
Congressional Democrats are withholding the votes to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, under which FEMA operates, until the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol, which also operate within DHS, change their polices on detaining illegal migrants living in the U.S.
FEMA hasn't received funding for 70 days since its appropriations expired, the agency said.
With the implementation of the Immediate Needs Funding, FEMA continues funding many priority efforts, but activities that aren't essential to saving lives are paused.
At the beginning of the government shutdown, the agency's Disaster Relief Fund, which is the primary vehicle the agency uses to provide recovery when the president declares a disaster, contained approximately $9.8 billion. Over two months later, it's less than $3 billion, according to FEMA. The reserve fund is reportedly as low as $1.6 billion.
“Democrats are endangering national security by playing political games with the Department’s budget,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement Wednesday.
The news comes with hurricane season officially beginning on June 1. FEMA has used Immediate Needs Funding nine times in the past 20 years, according to CBS News. Doing so during a government shutdown, however, would be unprecedented.