The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund has dwindled to less than $5 billion, lawmakers said this week, as both sides press for the swift passage of emergency aid.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Wednesday that the agency’s ability to respond to new disasters “could be jeopardized” without further funding from Congress.

“In just one month, we saw over 2.4 million households register for assistance, breaking records set during previous catastrophic storms,” Criswell said, adding that FEMA has already provided “more than $7.8 billion in federal assistance for hurricanes Helene and Milton.” The administrator said the figure includes $3 billion for individual assistance and $1.7 billion for public assistance.

Criswell also pointed to other needs beyond the relief fund, including the National Flood Insurance Program, which she said is experiencing “tremendous strain with nearly 74,000 claims filed following Hurricane Helene and Milton amounting to $843 million.”

Criswell was among a list of Biden administration officials who testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee as part of a broader hearing on Wednesday that also included testimonies from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Guzman.

Deputy secretaries at the departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development, Xochitl Torres Small and Adrianne Todman, respectively, also testified, as well as Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

The hearing comes after........

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