FEMA's disaster relief fund will run out of money by mid-August, Mayorkas says

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The Secretary of Homeland Security said FEMA is facing budget shortfalls that could impact its response to natural disasters.

The Homeland Security chief said the agency needs Congress to approve more funding or it will need to redirect funds to deal with more urgent, lifesaving needs.As parts of the U.S.

Against that backdrop, the secretary said he was concerned about the size of the agency's disaster relief fund. That's the primary way that FEMA funds its response to hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other disasters.“We expect the disaster relief fund, which is the critical fund that we use to resource impacted communities, we expect it will run out by mid-August. And we need Congress to fund the disaster relief fund," he said.

Much of the United States has been baking in a heat wave, with numerous areas expected to see record-breaking temperatures and hot weather expected to continue through the weekend. The hot start to the summer comes after the U.S. last year experienced the most heat waves since 1936. Environmental and labor groups earlier this week petitioned FEMA to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters under the Stafford Act, the law spelling out federal disaster response. They argued that both are among the biggest environmental killers and that a clear federal designation would unlock money for things like cooling centers to be used in heat waves or community solar energy projects to reduce grid load.

 

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