Federal Aid Now Coming to Seven States, but Many Still Await Help

The federal government has signed off on disaster relief for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington. These approvals unlock money for rebuilding roads, bridges and other public works that were damaged by storms or floods. The decision was announced in a briefing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and comes after a new secretary of Homeland Security began his job. The new head, Markwayne Mullin, said he would talk to the president about speeding up approvals before the Atlantic hurricane season starts. He also pointed out that disasters keep happening, so the agency must act quickly. A White House spokesperson added that the president wants to make sure tax dollars are spent wisely and that states keep working on their own disaster plans.However, the agency’s budget is tight. A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has lasted eight weeks and the fund that pays for disaster help is running low. Congress needs to pass a new appropriations bill to add more than $26 billion back into the fund. Without it, future help could be delayed. Some states that have asked for aid are still waiting. For example, Arizona has been in a dispute for almost three months after it was denied help for recent storms. Maryland’s governor is upset that his state has been turned down twice even though damage estimates exceed $33 million. The president’s final decision is based on a mix of FEMA’s damage reports and his own judgment. The new approvals do not include money for building stronger infrastructure after a disaster, which is normally part of the package. The president has not approved any of those requests in more than a year, leaving many communities without the chance to rebuild with better protection.