Exclusives

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Rep Urges Biden To Use Funds For Hamas-Controlled Gaza On Hurricane Helene Victims Instead

(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast urged President Joe Biden on Wednesday to end the over $300 million foreign aid package to assist people in Hamas-controlled Gaza and redirect it to Americans affected by Hurricane Helene, according to a letter first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

More than 150 people have been reported dead so far by the Category 4 hurricane as it first hit Florida on the evening of Sept. 26 before sweeping through North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, causing extensive damage. In the letter sent to Biden, Mast called for the $336 million aid package to Gaza to be redirected to “families right here on American soil reeling from the fallout and devastation” of the hurricane.

“While your administration has mobilized federal agencies and resources to respond to this disaster, the full cost of the damage is unlikely to become clear for weeks to come. In light of that reality, I urge you to put America First and ensure federal agencies coordinating relief and rebuilding efforts have sufficient funding in place,” Mast wrote.

“Using existing presidential authority, the White House should raid foreign assistance funds earmarked for countries and jurisdictions run by regimes and terrorist groups working against America’s interest,” Mast added. “A clear candidate for this is the $336 million foreign aid package the United States Agency for International Development plan to send to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.”

On Monday, the U.S. announced an additional humanitarian aid package for Gaza and the West Bank, bringing total U.S. aid to over $1 billion since October 2023, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Rep. Mast Letter To Biden by hailey on Scribd

While Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have visited parts of the affected areas, questions about government aid have emerged. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks the funds to make it through hurricane season, with damages potentially reaching $35 billion, according to reinsurance company Gallagher Re.

Hurricane Helene has become one of the deadliest U.S. storms since Hurricane Katrina, leaving many residents struggling to recover as their homes and towns lay in ruins, according to CNN. One of the hardest-hit cities was Asheville, North Carolina, which was left isolated after severe road damage, power outages and loss of cellphone service, StarTribune reported.

FEMA has provided more than $20 million “in flexible, upfront funding” to “thousands of” storm survivors, according to a press release. The agency also said it has over 1,500 FEMA workers among more than 5,000 federal workers helping, and has shipped “over 9.3 million meals, more than 11.2 million liters of water, 150 generators and more than 260,000 tarps to the region.”

It’s unclear if Congress will return before the scheduled Nov. 12 session to pass more emergency funding. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X Wednesday, saying that while lawmakers have already provided $20 billion in disaster relief for FEMA funding, lawmakers will do their “part to help these communities recover.”

“The United States has contributed billions of dollars over the years to the cause of the Palestinians with no tangible benefit to American interests to show for it. Simply put, America’s tax dollars should feed families at home — not fuel our foes abroad,” Mast wrote.

The White House did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.