As the Sunshine State enters into hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is expected to run out of funds after the first week of August. As hurricane season runs from June to November, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced legislation to address the looming problem.
The Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act will look to “ensure FEMA has sufficient resources to continue ongoing disaster response and is prepared for unforeseen major disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and other events.”
According to Sen. Rubio’s press release, the Biden administration has failed to ensure that programs like the DRF are funded and prepared for situations like hurricane season.
“Congress cannot allow the Biden Administration to use disaster funding as a bargaining chip, doing so puts countless vulnerable communities at risk. Our communities deserve better than this. It’s time for Congress to act and provide FEMA with the funding they need for disaster relief,” stated Sen. Rubio.
Moreover, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), a co-sponsor of the bill, stated that the Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act will guarantee that the federal government holds up its end of the bargain.
“Floridians know that responding to natural disasters is a team effort, which requires every level of government to be ready to assist families in need at a moment’s notice. This good bill will ensure the federal government can uphold its obligation to quickly deploy emergency funding and resources to communities and Americans impacted by natural disasters,” said Sen. Scott.
Just recently, Rubio asked for transparency from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) concerning the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars that have been sent to aid Ukraine in its effort against Russia.
In a letter to the Comptroller General of the GAO, the Florida senator would go on to mention “As such, I request a full GAO review of DoD’s accounting of all equipment provided to Ukraine under PDA since the Russian invasion in 2022 and how it compares with the valuation of equipment provided to other countries using PDA (presidential drawdown authorities). This will ensure U.S. taxpayers are not footing an even larger bill to replace the equipment needed to defend the U.S. and its interests.”
Sen. Rubio has still not decided whether he will jump into an increasingly growing presidential field.
