As the death toll from Hurricane Helene rose to over 200, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made a stunning admission about the state of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that is responsible for funding relief efforts.
On Wednesday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the agency “does not have the funds” to cover the final two months of the Atlantic hurricane season. The admission comes amid FEMA shelling out more than half a billion dollars to support migrant services.
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles to discuss the state of FEMA and the priorities of the Biden-Harris administration.
FEMA Funding
Mayorkas was on Air Force One en route to the Carolinas to survey Hurricane Helene damage with President Joe Biden when he told reporters that FEMA is essentially broke. “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” he said. “We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what, what is imminent.”
The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, with the most activity in September and October. Last week, the season saw its strongest and most devastating storm in Helene, which made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm also ravaged parts of Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.
As part of a short-term government spending bill passed last month, Congress allocated $20 billion to boost FEMA’s disaster relief coffers. Members of both the House and Senate are out of Washington, DC, until after the election, though a bipartisan group of senators from the affected states are saying Congress may need to reconvene sooner.
A FEMA spokesperson said more than 150,000 households have registered for assistance so far, and that number is expected to rise.
Follow the Money
All of this comes amid scrutiny over how FEMA has been using its resources. The agency’s website boasts that DHS awarded FEMA $640.9 million in fiscal year 2024 and $363.8 million in fiscal year 2023 to fund its Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which funds aid to state and local governments dealing with the influx of illegal migrants. That is over $1 billion between 2023 and 2024.
According to the FEMA website, SSP “is administered in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)” and “provides financial support to non-federal entities to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”
The “intent” of the program is “to support CBP in the safe, orderly, and humane release of noncitizen migrants from short-term holding facilities.” Knowles noted that San Diego, for example, took “$20 million from FEMA to build a migrant ‘welcome center,’ as if the resources that were already being given to the illegal aliens were not enough.”
As Megyn explained, a study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform found that illegal immigration cost U.S. taxpayers more than $150 billion in 2023. That works out to about $1,200 per American taxpayer. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris was in Georgia yesterday telling those devastated by the hurricane that they can expect $750 in cash from the government for essential items like food, water, and baby formula.
“Victims eventually will be allowed to apply for other federal aid after filing all the proper paperwork,” Megyn added. “They don’t even have pens. Their houses are under water, but okay. Did all the migrants have to file a ton of paperwork to get their aid?”
Priority Problems
Megyn called the situation “galling” – especially when you consider the self-reported goals of FEMA. The Federalist found that the agency’s stated goals include instilling “equity as a foundation of emergency management,” and “lead[ing] whole of community in climate resilience.” Those are listed first and second, while the goal to “promote and sustain a ready FEMA and prepared nation” comes in a measly third.
Knowles believes this is all leading to a pre-election showdown. “What is going to happen is the Democrats in Congress are going to say that we need to give more money to FEMA and the ‘heartless’ Republicans don’t care about disaster relief – disaster relief that the Democrats have not delivered and the funds for which they have completely frittered away on non-American citizens,” he said.
While he acknowledged illegal migrants need “some basic supplies,” he said the priorities are out of whack. “There is an order to charity,” Knowles concluded. “It is disordered for you to starve your family while feeding a family down the road. It is disordered for politicians to ignore their own citizens, their own constituents, and give everything away to foreign nationals.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Knowles by tuning in to episode 905 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.