Congress May Not Need to Return Early to Provide Emergency Disaster Funding

Congressional aides are reportedly saying that there is no need for lawmakers to return to Washington before the election to provide additional disaster relief funding in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 160 people across six states while causing billions in damages.

President Joe Biden said Monday that he was considering asking Congress to come back into session in the coming days to boost funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the agency appears to have sufficient funds to continue operating until lawmakers return on November 12.

Addressing the issue Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson said there was no need to call lawmakers back: “Congress has previously provided FEMA with the funds it needs to respond, so we will make sure that those resources are appropriately allocated.”

A year ago, Biden requested about $24 billion in additional funding for FEMA, which has seen higher-than-expected spending amid a series of natural disasters, but lawmakers have repeatedly failed to provide the extra funds. As a result, FEMA’s disaster relief fund is facing a deficit of roughly $2 billion.

At the same time, the continuing resolution signed into law last week extends FEMA’s budget for another six weeks and includes a provision that allows the agency to spend more quickly when responding to disasters. In addition, FEMA’s disaster relief fund can operate under “immediate needs funding” rules, or INF, when money runs low during an emergency, allowing it to redirect internal funds to respond to disasters, providing plenty of wiggle room to spend freely on immediate needs. (For a primer on how the system works, see this report from the Congressional Research Service, which was highlighted by reporter Jennifer Shutt of States Newsroom.)

Still, FEMA will likely need a fiscal shot in the arm at some point this fall. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said last week that Congress will have to act soon. “We’re gonna continue to have more potential natural disasters between now and December or into next year,” he told reporters, adding that “we’re not done” when it comes to the effort to provide more funding for disaster relief.