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| Congress has until Friday to pass a continuing resolution, and hopefully fund FEMA disaster relief, though neither is a sure bet. |
That FEMA money would hopefully one part of a continuing spending resolution must pass or there will be a government shut down. Yeah, Congress is kicking the can down the road again instead of just doing the budget like they're supposed to.
FEMA funding is emerging as a major sticking point.
"While there is broad bipartisan support for disaster relief, some Republicans have raised concerns with the size and scope of the White House's request, particular proposed fund in areas like the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency."
Against that backdrop, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont is pushing for giving FEMA at least $98 billion in emergency funding to cope with a slew of big U.S. disasters in recent months. As we well know, some of those disasters have occurred in Vermont.
Welch said Congress hasn't passed comprehensive disaster aid since 2022 and the need is piling up.
"The longer we wait to help disaster victims, the more disaster victims we will have. The list of needs will only grow Delay hurts, it doesn't help. That's why I am asking my colleagues in the Senate and the House to act now and act quickly.
For Vermont, and for every state hit by a disaster since we passed a disaster bill so many storms ago....We cannot wait. We have common ground in our common crisis. We must send a disaster bill to President Biden's desk," Welch said.
FEMA funding is more important than ever because, as Welch just told us, those disasters are piling up. More and more people live in places with dangerous weather, and climate change continues to make those disasters worse than they otherwise would be. And they're expanding in scope.
In the short term, between now and December 20, the biggest obstacle to potential FEMA funding is the so-called Freedom Caucus,
The caucus would only support disaster funding if money is taken out of the budget somewhere else. In a statement last week, members of the Freedom Caucus said. "The House should consider only what is absolutely necessary right now to prove critical relief to hurricane victims and farmers, and pay for it with offsets from wasteful spending elsewhere in the government, then wait for President Trump to take office to better manage disaster relief."
As of Saturday, at least some observers seemed optimistic some disaster aid will be approved in a stopgap measure, even if it's not the $98 billion the Biden administration - and Sen. Welch - want.
Even though Donald Trump, about to enter the White House doesn't want to spend money on things like that.
The Trump and MAGA people seem intent on making life as hard as possible for most working class people, including disaster victims. I think disaster aid will be severely curtailed during the Trump administration, even as those disasters will almost surely keep piling up.
If Trump and his minions have their way, disaster victims will be on their own more than ever. Eventually, there will be a lot of angry people out there. Before I go on, I'll make things clear that I don't want anybody to threaten violence or actually cause it.
But you saw the visceral anger in the past couple weeks at the murderous and dystopian U.S. health care industry after the murder of the United Health CEO.
If the new administration dares screw over disaster and climate victims over the next four years, it could get ugly. Even some of Trump's biggest fans will turn on him, though I admit his most rabid followers will make excuses for him.
The inevitable upcoming disasters and a lack of response to them will sow even more discord in the U.S., as if we don't have enough already.
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