North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has joined a lawsuit over the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) withholding crucial grant money that pays emergency workers and funds disaster preparation.
North Carolina is one of the twenty states that have filed the suit against FEMA, and it is not the state’s first lawsuit against the agency. Back in July, North Carolina sued FEMA for canceling $200 million in grants that would’ve helped with climate resiliency projects.
Jackson’s office states that North Carolina receives around $17 million from the program to “train emergency personnel, coordinate rescue operations, and conduct other law enforcement exercises.”
Not only is the withholding of funds unlawful and disenfranchising, but the new guidelines are anti-immigrant and deemed burdensome.
“This money is for when the worst thing happens in your county, whether it’s a major natural disaster that requires a lot of first responders or something to do with homeland security or terrorism, this money goes to help pay the salaries of hundreds of people whose job it is to respond in those emergencies and to keep people safe,” AG Jackson told Blue Ridge Public Radio.
The effects of Hurricane Helene, a natural disaster that devastated the western Appalachian region of North Carolina, can still be seen and felt today. Western North Carolina is still in the process of recovery, however, the recovery could not have been done without the assistance of federal aid from FEMA.
With regions in North Carolina showing drastic improvement with rebuilding what was lost, it is evident that the use of federal resources is pertinent in responding to natural disasters.
The federal funding we receive saves lives and rebuilds communities from the devastation of natural disasters. We must continue to advocate for FEMA funding and emphasize its positive impact on communities, rescue workers, and the environment.
