Despite Mayorkas’ warning, FEMA has the resources needed for “immediate response and recovery.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the resources needed for an “immediate response and recovery” after Hurricane Helene – even as Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned of a possible shortage of funds .

“FEMA has everything it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts,” spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg said on We still have the season to watch, so we need to keep a close eye on it.

The agency had recently eliminated funding for immediate needs, which allows the agency to focus on urgent efforts and pause non-urgent projects, but Rothenberg said the agency may still need to draw on that, “and we’ll be watching that closely.” .”

Hurricane Helene survivor says water rose four feet in minutes

The remains of a home were spotted in Lake Lure, North Carolina, on Wednesday after Hurricane Helene. (Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images)

Mayorkas made headlines on Wednesday when he said FEMA does not have enough funding to get through the hurricane season, which runs through November.

“With the money we have we cover immediate needs. We expect another hurricane,” he said. “FEMA does not have the resources to get through the season.”

Mayorkas spoke on Air Force Once as states and the federal government assessed the damage from Helene, which hit several states and killed more than 160 people. His calls echoed those of President Biden, who said Congress may need to pass additional spending legislation to help states.

Congress recently appropriated $20 billion in emergency funding for FEMA’s disaster relief fund as part of a bipartisan agreement to prevent a government shutdown late last month. But Congress is currently out until mid-November, after Election Day.

Mayorkas later clarified his remarks at the same event, saying that the agency’s short-term funding does not provide stability.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“We have immediate needs at the moment. We have resources for an ongoing solution, but it is not a stable source of supply, if you will,” he said. “This is a multi-year, multi-billion dollar recovery.”

“It is very important to note that even though we are working on a rolling resolution, we can obtain expendable funds quickly, allowing us to draw on funds earmarked for the duration of the year to meet immediate needs,” he said. “So we meet the moment, but that says nothing about the future and the fact, as I mentioned, that these extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity, and we need to be funded for them.” The American people are not political Problem.

On Capitol Hill, a source familiar with the congressional fundraising process also said disaster relief funding is in no immediate danger of running out of money.

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“While we won’t know the full cost of Helene until the first 30-day estimate is available, FEMA finished last year with just under $2 billion (which was carried over). The CR also gave it access to an additional $20.261 billion.” “That’s a total of about $22 billion for this fiscal year so far,” they said.

Meanwhile, Mayorkas’ comments about a possible lack of funding drew criticism from Republicans and conservatives who pointed out that FEMA was using money for grants to house and care for illegal immigrants who had crossed the southern border.

“Mayorkas and FEMA – immediately stop spending money to relocate illegal immigrants and redirect those funds to hurricane-affected areas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said on X.

Critics pointed out that the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) spent $650 million in FY23 on grants to nonprofits and local organizations supporting migrants. But the Biden administration pushed back, noting that the funds were appropriated by Congress and were entirely separate from disaster relief funding.

“These allegations are completely false,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “As Secretary Mayorkas said, FEMA has the resources necessary to meet the immediate needs related to Hurricane Helene and other disasters. The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is an entirely separate, dedicated grant program authorized and funded by Congress but not in any way related to FEMA’s disaster-related authorities or funding streams.”

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White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez called claims that money was spent on services for illegal immigrants “false.”

“The Disaster Relief Fund is appropriated by Congress specifically to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters. It is completely independent of other grant programs administered by FEMA for DHS,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.