Staff Reports
A recent letter from a group of Senate Republicans shines a glaring spotlight on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing them of diverting taxpayer dollars intended for disaster relief to address the ongoing border crisis. It turns out that while the nation grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Biden-Harris administration has been funneling funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) like it’s a high-stakes game of Monopoly—except taxpayers aren’t having any fun.
For Fiscal Year 2024 alone, Congress has allocated a hefty $30 billion to FEMA, a lifeline for those in need when disasters strike. Yet, the Biden administration has reportedly spent over $650 million on programs related to border issues this year and an astounding $1.5 billion since taking office. Imagine the irony—Americans suffering from hurricanes are competing for funds with newly arrived migrants because, apparently, FEMA has taken a detour from its original purpose, trading lifesaving responses for border bureaucratic wrangling.
They are using our tax dollars for our destruction.
A handful of Senate Republicans are warning that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are siphoning tax payer funds from FEMA, meant for Americans in need following a disaster.
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has… pic.twitter.com/gJOMn6hsKI
— Ali Starr ⭐️ (@StarrAli001) October 8, 2024
The letter, which was penned on October 4 by Senators Roger Marshall, Josh Hawley, Rand Paul, James Lankford, and Ron Johnson, expresses alarm at how FEMA’s mission has been hijacked under Vice President Harris, the self-proclaimed “border czar.” The Senators are making it clear: while the winds and waters from Hurricane Helene wreak havoc in multiple states, FEMA appears more focused on juggling border crises than gearing up for disaster relief. In their view, this not only signals misguided priorities but also diminishes FEMA’s readiness for handling actual national disasters.
In a breathtaking twist, not only are FEMA’s resources being redirected, but the Senators point out that the administration has actually requested Congress to slash funding for detention centers and border enforcement, all while simultaneously seeking funds for FEMA’s border-related projects. It’s as if the Biden-Harris plan to safeguard the southern border amounts to hoping the problem will fix itself while juggling the agency meant to respond to natural disasters. The absurdity of this predicament would be comical if it weren’t so serious.
The Republicans are demanding that Biden and Harris lift the veil on how FEMA’s funds are being allocated at the southern border. They want specifics on how many agency employees are now tasked with border missions and how much money has been reprogrammed from its original purpose. It’s about time Americans start asking why their hard-earned taxes are being funneled away from urgent disaster responses to support policies that have led to unprecedented chaos at the southern border.
As the Senators conclude, the real focus of FEMA should be preparing for disasters like hurricanes, not playing the role of the cleanup crew for a failing border strategy. If this administration prioritized American citizens over non-citizens, perhaps FEMA could remain committed to its motto of helping people before, during, and after disasters—without getting sidetracked by an endless stream of border-related responsibilities.
