Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Other Senate Republicans Voted to Defund FEMA—Now Ask for Federal Aid
35 Republicans, including 8 up for re-election in November, voted against the agency that helps disaster victims
Written for MeidasTouch by J.D. Wolf
As the federal response to Hurricane Helene is well underway, many MAGA Republicans have been politicizing the Biden administration's efforts. However, they might want to shift their focus to the 35 Senate Republicans who voted against providing additional funding for FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which plays a crucial role in disaster relief after events like Hurricane Helene.
The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305), passed in 2021, allocated funds for FEMA, an agency stretched thin by a series of floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters.
In 2021, the following MAGA Republicans voted against additional FEMA funding to assist those in need:
On this list are several Republicans that are up for election this cycle, including:
John Barrasso (R-WY)
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Josh Hawley (R-MO)
Rick Scott (R-FL)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Many of these Republicans, despite voting against this bill, have publicly posted about the importance of FEMA and federal aid for victims of natural disasters in their own states.
For example, Ted Cruz and Rick Scott both stated they would work to secure federal funds for their constituents after voting against those funds in 2021. In a 2024 tweet, Cruz said he would work to "secure federal resources" for Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
On Saturday, Rick Scott tweeted about the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, claiming he is "doing everything possible to ensure Floridians have every federal resource they need to recover." Both Cruz and Scott voted to defund FEMA in 2021.
Similarly, on Tuesday, Marsha Blackburn requested that President Biden authorize FEMA relief for Tennessee, despite her vote to defund FEMA in 2021.
When parts of Missouri experienced severe flooding in 2022, Josh Hawley urged FEMA to conduct a "quick" damage assessment, noting that "these folks need help fast." Yet, Hawley also voted to defund FEMA in 2021.
All of these MAGA Republican senators voted to defund FEMA, but when disasters hit their states, they present themselves as champions for their constituents on social media. Many of them represent states frequently impacted by natural disasters, yet they chose to vote against critical funding to help the people they serve.
I hope that their Democratic opponents can make good use of this. Republicans never want to approve needed funds but are the first to put their hands out for money.
JV Vance debate: A smooth serial liar who asserted his 1st amendment right to lie, complained about being fact checked & is the only VP candidate ever who couldn’t answer who won the last election. Response of the evening to Vance refusing to answer/wanting to “look to the future”: “That was a damning non answer.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDdkauB47i0