Republicans, driven by former President Donald Trump, have pushed unfounded claims for days that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been absent on the ground in states devastated by Hurricane Helene, like North Carolina — and even asserted that the Biden administration raided FEMA's budget to shelter immigrants and denied relief to areas that vote Republican, none of which is true.
On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign hit back with a lengthy thread on X, tallying up many Republicans making a false claim that FEMA is offering $750 per person in disaster areas, and reminding the GOP that not only is FEMA doing its job, a great many Republicans — including some whose states were affected by the disaster — voted against the funding that is letting FEMA do so.
For instance, the @HarrisHQ account juxtaposed the complaint by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who said, "Not only are Hurricane Helene victims only given an insulting measly $750 and being left stranded, the U.S. government is giving $1 BILLION to Ukraine every single month to fund the Ukrainian government."
Greene, wrote @HarrisHQ, "voted against FEMA funding two weeks ago."
ALSO READ: Retired judge grades Trump's appointees —and finds some have 'lost their way'
Other Republicans making similar complaints who also voted against FEMA funding include Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Mike Collins and Andrew Clyde (R-GA), and Byron Donalds (R-FL).
Hurricane Helene tore a path of destruction through northern Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, particularly devastating the city of Asheville, North Carolina, which was virtually cut off from the outside world by damage to surrounding highways.
Before the communities can start rebuilding, another potentially lethal storm, Hurricane Milton, is bearing down on Florida from inside the Gulf of Mexico.
