A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Orange County, Calif., are urging Home leaders to incorporate catastrophe reduction funding in fiscal yr 2025 spending, highlighting wildfire harm within the state whilst harm from Hurricane Helene on the opposite aspect of the nation has heightened consideration on the problem.
“We urge you to include disaster relief funding in FY 2025 government spending. While we were disappointed that full disaster relief funding was not included in the three-month continuing resolution, we request that you support such funding in ongoing full-year appropriations negotiations,” the 5 Home members wrote on Wednesday in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), first shared with The Hill.
“Disaster relief funding plays an essential role in supplying federal resources to areas impacted by natural disasters, such as wildfires, and it is our responsibility as lawmakers to ensure that our government is fully equipped to protect and rebuild our communities.”
Rep. Younger Kim (R-Calif.) led the letter, joined by Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), and Michele Metal (R-Calif.).
Funding for the Federal Emergency Administration Company’s (FEMA) catastrophe reduction fund (DRF) was included in a three-month stopgap authorities funding invoice that Congress handed, and that President Biden signed into legislation, final week, permitting FEMA to make use of sources quicker for catastrophe response over the subsequent three months.
However further FEMA funding was notably excluded from the bundle, and the Orange County lawmakers stated that more cash is important.
“While we applaud the inclusion of $20 billion towards the DRF in the continuing resolution, more funding is necessary for both the DRF and FEMA given the accumulation of backlogged costs the DRF must reimburse before addressing the many natural disasters Americans across the country currently face,” the members stated within the letter. “Beyond the DRF, the U.S. Forest Service has faced ongoing staffing shortages in the Cleveland National Forest, where the Airport Fire began, during peak wildfire season. Furthermore, no new funding was included for other important disaster relief programs like the Small Business Administration’s disaster loans and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program.”
“With the passage of a three-month continuing resolution without sufficient disaster relief funding, it is now even more vital for Congress to allocate necessary funding towards disaster relief programs so the federal government can provide adequate assistance to those impacted by natural disasters. We ask that you support full disaster relief funding as you negotiate FY 2025 government funding,” the members wrote.
Negotiations on full-year spending are anticipated when Congress returns after the election. Authorities funding expires on Dec. 20.
Johnson has stated that whereas Congress has already approved the catastrophe reduction funds wanted for the quick response to Helene, the storm that has ravaged a number of states from Florida up via western North Carolina and Tennessee, he signaled that extra might be coming.
“The Congress will have to address it,” Johnson stated of catastrophe reduction for Helene Wednesday on Fox Information. “I mean, this is an appropriate role for the federal government. But to your point, Steve, we have to prioritize federal spending. We have a $35 trillion federal debt … You have to handle federal emergencies. These are appropriate roles for the federal government. We ought to be doing it in a bipartisan fashion. And I certainly hope that we can get that done.”
