The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a $1.1 million grant to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (Iowa HSEMD) to cover costs incurred from the 2020 derecho. FEMA’s announcement comes after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and members of the Iowa congressional delegation urged FEMA to grant this much-needed request for federal assistance.
“I’m pleased to hear that more funding will be coming home to Iowa. Like we saw in the immediate aftermath of this devastating storm, Iowans are resilient – and this reimbursement will ensure our state will recover and be prepared for future emergencies,” Grassley said.
FEMA’s latest announcement includes a $1.1 million grant to cover direct and indirect administrative expenses incurred by Iowa HSEMD in its response to the derecho. Grassley has also continued pushing for additional federal assistance for communities still working to recover. Most recently, FEMA announced $9.8 million for the city of Marion to cover debris removal costs.
Grassley has led a number of efforts to help Iowans continuing to rebuild and recover from the derecho. His Disaster Tax Relief Act was signed into law, which provided targeted tax relief for those impacted by the derecho. To help farmers receive additional assistance, he also successfully led an effort to ensure derechos were included in a key disaster relief program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated damages from the August 2020 derecho to be $7.5 billion, making it the most costly thunderstorm in U.S. history.
Boy, that surely is generous of him to take money from taxpayers in other states to give to Iowans. Of course, other senators are voting to take money from Iowa taxpayers to give to their constituents. See how this works?
I have never understood how politicians can claim to be generous or compassionate by giving away other people’s money. It isn’t as if ol’ Chuck is ponying up his own dough.
“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” ― Frederic Bastiat