Chuck Schumer criticizes the Trump administration for diverting $271 million from FEMA for border security
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley says Sen. Chuck Schumer knows this pot of money can't be used for hurricane recovery or preparedness, he's telling a flat out lie.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democrats are “flat-out” lying to the American people about the $271 million in funds the Trump administration diverted from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to support border security, said White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Schumer wrote in a statement: "The Trump administration's plan to divert money away from FEMA at the start of hurricane season to continue its efforts to separate and jail migrant families is backwards and cruel.
"Taking these critical funds from disaster preparedness and recovery efforts threatens lives and weakens the government's ability to help Americans in the wake of natural disasters. Congress appropriated these funds to meet the American peoples' priorities and I strongly oppose this effort to undermine our constitutional authority."
Appearing on “America’s Newsroom” with host Sandra Smith, Gidley argued that Democrats knew the money was not being diverted from “anything that can be used for recovery efforts or preparedness efforts.”
DORIAN BECOMES HURRICANE NEAR US VIRGIN ISLANDS, MAY THREATEN FLORIDA AS CATEGORY 3 STORM
“They know that, so this is a flat-out lie,” Gidley said.
“And, if the media is reporting it and continues to do so this way they either haven’t gotten to the conclusion of the fact that this pot of money can’t be used for recovery efforts, or they know it and they’re misreporting it, misrepresenting it—intentionally,” Gidley told Smith.
The Department of Homeland Security said it will transfer the funds—including $155 million from FEMA's disaster relief fund—to support new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds as well as facilities for related court cases, according to documents obtained by NPR.
Congress also received a notification about the transfer in July in which the DHS said that $155 million comes from recoveries of prior year funds and that "absent significant new catastrophic events" the department believes the fund will still have enough money to operate.
TROPICAL STORM DORIAN'S PATH: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Gidley went on to state that the local politicians on the ground misusing taxpayer funds by giving it to politicians as bonuses, “watching food rot” and water going “bad” are to blame for criticism of previous relief efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2018.
“The federal dollars that went down there were misused; they were abused. We pointed this out that the territory was in serious trouble because of the local politicians and what they had done in propping up their own bank accounts as opposed to helping the people of Puerto Rico,” Gidley explained.
He added: “The resources we deliver need to get to the people of Puerto Rico and that’s what this is about.”
On Wednesday morning, the president took to Twitter again to echo Gidley’s sentiments.
“We are tracking closely tropical storm Dorian as it heads, as usual, to Puerto Rico. FEMA and all others are ready, and will do a great job. When they do, let them know it, and give them a big Thank You - Not like last time. That includes from the incompetent Mayor of San Juan!”
“Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth,” he wrote. “Their political system is broken and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt. Congress approved Billions of Dollars last time, more than anyplace else has ever gotten, and it is sent to Crooked Pols. No good!”
Gidley said: “The president moved Heaven and Earth to try and help them rebuild. But, Democrats playing politics, they know -- Chuck Schumer knows -- this pot of money can’t be used for hurricane recovery or preparedness. He’s telling a flat-out lie.”
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Dorian strengthened Wednesday into a hurricane near the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas -- and by the weekend it may threaten Florida's coast as a Category 3 storm.
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