Oregon's Department of Emergency Management director Erin McMahon reported that FEMA owes the state $129 million in frozen funds for disaster relief including severe weather events. McMahon explained that without federal funding, local emergency managers may not receive their salaries, creating a financial crisis. Despite a federal judge ordering that funds be released, many states, including Oregon, claim the Trump administration is delaying access to these funds under the guise of reviewing for fraud. This situation is causing disruptions not only in governance but also affecting individuals relying on disaster assistance.
"In total, we've got $129 million in federal dollars that are frozen," said McMahon, the director of Oregon's Department of Emergency Management.
"We're not gonna be able to pay them in April unless we get the funding from the federal government," she told NPR.
The Court's intervention is necessary, the states wrote in a filing last week, because they 'have continued to experience significant obstacles to accessing federal funds.'
The Trump administration said that it is complying with the court's injunction... that FEMA continues to process payments as quickly as possible.
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