WASHINGTON — Just one week after CNN revealed a proposed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive to cut key disaster preparedness programs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced nearly $1 billion in funding for such efforts.
FEMA is now accepting applications for more than a dozen grant programs, offering nearly $1 billion in funding to communities nationwide, according to a notice sent to states on Aug. 1 and reported by CNN.
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“This announcement comes after a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer,” the notice states. “Unlike the previous administration, recipients of grants will no longer be permitted to use federal funds to house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people.”
In a statement to CNN, the DHS confirmed the decision to release the funding and maintained that it had not reversed course.
According to DHS, the release follows a comprehensive review of the grant programs intended to support states in preparing for a range of emergencies, including natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, as well as incidents involving terrorism or significant cyber disruptions.
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