Will Sullivan

September 29, 2011

Despite uncertainty regarding FEMA's budget, there is no debate over the damage incurred by Vermonters in the wake of Irene. The tropical storm stranded thousands, decimatedproperties, and left the Green Mountain State wondering if it would be able to replace or repair the damage.

Over 5,000 Vermonters have applied to FEMA for help. To date, FEMA has designated over $14 million to Vermonters, with $13 million going to housing and rental assistance.

Irene hit the Vermont Rail System especially hard. Since the system's inception in 1964, nothing has come close to rivaling the impact of Irene. Vermont railways lost 11 miles of track and suffered 98 washouts. To date, repairs have totaled over $14 million.

Timely relief in Vermont is especially important. Compared to her southern counterparts, winter places a strict deadline on the completion of many relief efforts. Much of thisdepends on the availability -- present or expected -- of FEMA dollars.

On Monday, September 26th, the White House Budget Office confirmed that FEMA had enough money -- $114 million dollars -- to see the program through the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. This announcement ended weeks of debate centered on what qualifications attached to continued funding. House Republicans arguedenergy subsidies must goin the name of appropriations to the FEMA budget. Democrats argued that FEMA funding should not be linked to the deficit debate.

GovernorShumlin weighs in on the issue: "We cannot find words to express our disappointment with a lack of action from Congress in our time of need… [i]t seems like they will spend hundreds of millions in Iraq, and then when we have hard-working, taxpaying Americans knocked on their knees, suddenly we need to justify our need for relief. I don't get it."

Sources:

Jennifer DePaul and Eric Pianin, FEMA Standoff Ends as Disaster Victims Still Suffer, The Fiscal Times (Sep. 26, 2011), http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/09/26/FEMA-Standoff-Ends-as-Disaster--Victims-Still-Suffer.aspx#page1.

FEMA has Provide Over $14 Million in Assistance to Individuals, Families, The Commons Online (Sep. 28, 2011), http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site04/story.php?articleno=4200&page=1.

Pat Bradley, Vermont Senators Criticize Hold Back of FEMA Funding in Political Debate, Northeast Public Radio (Sep. 26, 2011), http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/2706/1856857/WAMC.News/Vermont.Senators.Criticize.Hold.Back.of.FEMA.Funding.in.Budget.Debate.