House approves $5.1 billion to replenish disaster funds

Iowa's five U.S. House members voted to provide $5.1 billion to replenish the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to pay for past disasters, including 2008 flooding and costs arising from new disasters.

Payouts from the fund have been limited since February because of a low balance, 2

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District Rep. Dave Loebsack said. Iowa is due more than $480 million as of May, more than any other state.

“The FEMA Disaster Relief Fund is essential to communities that are recovering from disasters and that are mitigating for future disasters,” he said. The recent flooding in Iowa highlighted the need to replenish the fund in order to provide assistance as quickly as possible, he said.

The funding was part of H.R. 4899, the Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY 2010. The bill now goes to the president.

Without the emergency appropriation, FEMA estimated that the fund would have been exhausted before September and unable to pay claims, 1

“Iowa's most recent round of record-breaking floods underscores the desperate need to replenish these disaster funds,” Braley said. “Without this funding, the federal government's ability to respond to this disaster, and others like it across the country, would be severely limited.”

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District Rep. Bruce Braley said.