Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., on Thursday questioned why President Donald Trump would take "much-needed" funds from FEMA's disaster fund for use on issues at the border, when there are areas of the country still hurting from Hurricane Irma in 2017, let alone facing the latest threat from Hurricane Dorian.
"We are still recovering from Hurricane Irma," Mucarsel-Powell, whose district encompasses Monroe County, the Florida Keys, and parts of Miami-Dade County, told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We have still not received all the reimbursements from FEMA that we expect."
She said she has sent a letter to FEMA Acting Director Pete Gaynor seeking answers about whether the funds have been sent to the president and if he was asked to allocate money before the news broke that Dorian is expected to hit Florida as a monster storm.
"We're bracing for this storm right now and we need FEMA to be with us here on the ground, ready and with the appropriate funding if that storm were to hit the coast and cause severe damage," Mucarsel-Powell added.
She said Thursday her district is often "Ground Zero" for storms that hit the east coast of Florida, and the storms are getting stronger.
The congresswoman also applauded GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis for already declaring a state of emergency, so resources can start moving quickly.
"We don't have enough information as to where exactly this storm is going to hit, but we ask all residents to have a plan in place," she said. "There is still some time, and we just need to watch closely."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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