Disaster Funding Tied up in Continuing Resolution Deadline

If you think you can avoid politics as an emergency manager…guess again.

Congress is back from their extended summer vacations and the top issue is passing a continuing funding resolution to keep the government funded through 2024. The deadline is only three weeks away (September 30) before the federal fiscal year is over and … then there is no money for “anything” federal until a bill or bills are passed.

The Republican controlled Congress was looking to have a vote on the continuing resolution this week. Today, Speaker Johnson found out he did not have the votes to do so--today. There is a mixture of reasons for that from a rider on the bill about a national voter proof/voter ID, to physical conservatives happy to shut down the government over the issue of borrowing and borrowing and borrowing money for a budget that exceeds revenues. Maybe a tax increase is needed??? Or, cut the military, social security and Medicare since those are the largest pots of money.  Nothing sounds palatable to anyone running for re-election, and everyone in the House of Representatives is up for re-election in November.

Which brings us to the emergency management—so what question? Well, besides the continuing resolution there is a measure to provide money for disaster relief/recovery funds. Hawaii is one of the bigger numbers, but all the disasters that are in recovery or response mode (see Louisiana right now) will be impacted by this upcoming vote.

There is no escaping it. We as emergency managers are part and parcel of politics if we like it or not.