Republican Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance The Biden-Harris administration was criticized for its handling of the fallout from Hurricane Helene in an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
Vance said that FEMA has become “distracted” by illegal immigrants as a result of the “incompetence” of the Biden-Harris administration.
“I think the fundamental mistake that Kamala Harris’s administration made here, Will, is that you should have implemented military-style command and control from the beginning,” he said. “You have eight different bureaucratic organizations, you have many different bureaucratic fiefdoms that sometimes delay the provision of needed resources, you need to empower a military commander on the ground to deliver a helicopter where. They need to go, get supplies to cut down on some of the FAA bureaucracy.”
He added, “I truly believe that the problem here is like the DMV on an industrial scale, and because of it, a lot of people in North Carolina are suffering unnecessarily.” “I hope to God you don’t have unnecessary loss of life, but I fear we do, and it all boils down to why we have a President and a Vice President, one of whom is on the beach. But the second one is on the beach participating in raising money instead of doing their job, this is incompetence of the highest order.”
Vance discusses the claim that there is a bucket money in fema That has gone to illegal immigrants and another separate portion of the money has gone to American citizens.
“I think it misses the fundamental point that the Biden-Harris administration has effectively turned FEMA into an agency that helps with resettlement and helps deal with illegal immigration,” he said. “It’s basically a distraction from their core job of helping American citizens in their time of need.”
Vance continued, calling the administration’s response after Hurricane Helene a “complete failure of leadership”, demonstrated by the contradiction in previous responses to natural disasters.
“In 2010, there was a terrible earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,” he said. “The 82nd Airborne was on the ground two days later. There was a devastating hurricane an hour away from the 82nd Airborne headquarters. It took over a week for the entire deployment to arrive and begin helping people.”
“This is a complete lack of leadership,” he said. “When things like this happen, you need someone who’s in charge, you need someone who says we’ll save as many lives as possible. Red tape be damned. Unfortunately, your What is close is someone sleeping behind the wheel. No one knows who is in charge, and I think that has led to a delay in providing needed resources to the people of North Carolina.”
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ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 28: Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene cause record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina on September 28, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Big Bend, Florida on Thursday night with 140 mph winds and storm surge, killing at least 42 people across several states. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images))
Vance said this region, the Appalachian region of the country, has been ignored by American leadership for 40 years.
“They feel really neglected today,” he said. “The way you can solve that problem is with leaders who show up and focus on the people. Kamala Harris has failed to do that.”
FEMA has set up a fact-checking page to respond to what it says are inaccurate claims about its response to the storm. In one, she responded to claims that funding for its disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border issues.
“No money is being diverted from disaster response needs,” the site states. “FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money is not diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts. “
A White House spokesperson did not have a direct response to Vance but noted fox news digital For his comments regarding similar criticism by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
“A wide range of leaders from both parties and every affected state have praised the bipartisan response to Hurricane Helene,” said spokesman Andrew Bates. “South Carolina’s Republican Governor Henry McMaster called the response ‘fantastic.’ Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said, ‘They’re doing a great job.’ ‘We’re seeing incredible help from the federal government to the state,’ said Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, said he ‘appreciated’ President Biden’s offer to call him directly for any ‘other things we need.’ Incredibly appreciate the quick response. “The federal response has been nothing short of amazing,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, ‘This is an incredible experience for me. So, to President Biden, thank you for coming. Thank you for your attention to our needs. “There has been a good working relationship between the federal government.”
