Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas challenges NBC host Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) lackluster response to Hurricane Helen. Ta.
FEMA has allocated more than $1 billion to migrant assistance programs in the past two fiscal years, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday that FEMA does not have enough funds to weather the storm season. Welker characterized FEMA’s spending on immigrants as “misinformation,” and Cotton disputed her claims.
“I think my broader question to you is about this misinformation. Do you think it’s time to set aside falsehoods like that FEMA funds are being directed to immigrants? That’s not true at all,” Welker asked.
“Well, it’s true that FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security are spending billions of dollars on immigrants. I know some people say it’s individual fines, but we just passed a short-term spending bill. It is very common for the administration to come to you asking for permission to move money between fines, especially for emergencies.” (Related: ‘Floridians doing Florida things’: Video shows hurricane victim kayaking in flooded living room)
Welker: “Do you think now is the time to allow falsehoods like FEMA funds being directed to immigrants?”
Sen. @TomCottonAR: “It’s true that FEMA and DHS are spending billions of dollars on immigration… This administration seems to have no problem finding money when it’s needed… pic.twitter.com/SGgxZ7BcHZ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 6, 2024
Cotton said the Biden-Harris administration “has no problem finding money when they want to spend it on their priorities.”
“If they need hundreds of billions of dollars to pay off student loans for graduate students and gender studies programs, they’re going to find it one way or another,” the Republican senator told Welker. “Helicopters are trying to bring food, water, cell phone service and life-saving medical care to mountain valleys, but for some reason we can’t seem to find the funding.”
Hurricane Helen, a Category 4 storm, devastated southern states on the East Coast, including areas of western North Carolina, including Asheville and Boone, as well as South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. More than 200 deaths were recorded, According to Many people remain stranded after flash flooding damaged homes and property, the Associated Press reported.
