{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4361", "PLASKETT ISSUES STATEMENT ON BUDGET TALKS AND FEMA DISASTER FUND EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS", "2023-09-18", "2023", "2023-09", "Democrat", "House", "VI", "Stacey E. Plaskett", "P000610", "plaskett.house.gov", "plaskett", "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland\n\nSeptember 18th, 2023 340-201-6453\n\nPress Release\n\nPLASKETT ISSUES STATEMENT ON BUDGET TALKS AND FEMA DISASTER FUND EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement:\n\n\u201cAs many of us are aware, federal government funding is scheduled to expire at the close of this fiscal year on September 30th. At present, the House of Representatives has 8 working days to pass a continuing resolution (CR), to continue current funding levels and avoid a government shutdown, with negotiations ongoing for full fiscal year 2024 government spending. While the Senate has been able to work well on their spending compromises, it is my hope that my colleagues in the House will be able to come to a place of agreement in short order. While the shutdown will not affect Social Security and Medicare, it would affect federal employees\u2019 ability to be paid as well as some services such as those to seniors and veterans.\n\n\u201cAdditionally, FEMA has announced that its nationwide Disaster Relief Fund is approaching exhaustion and has imposed an \u201cImmediate Needs Funding\u201d guidance for the remaining balances in the Fund. Under this protocol, there will not be new commitments from the Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance not essential for lifesaving and life-sustaining activities, permanent rebuilding and hazard mitigation work. New commitments to fund these activities out of the Disaster Relief Fund will be paused until the Fund is sufficiently replenished.\n\n\u201cI have been working in earnest with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fulfill President Biden\u2019s request to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund with an additional $16 billion dollars so that funding for permanent disaster recovery and rebuilding work may resume nationwide. Jurisdictions around the country are affected by this depletion of funds. From California and Texas, to Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana \u2013 numerous jurisdictions are impacted by the need for the Disaster Relief Fund to be replenished. My office has shared this information with Governor Bryan\u2019s team as this announcement from FEMA has a direct impact on numerous projects in the Virgin Islands. The FEMA Immediate Needs Funding restrictions will hold up projects that have not had funds obligated to date but are otherwise worthy of funding to rebuild critical infrastructure like schools and hospitals both in the Virgin Islands as well as those across the nation. Presently, new rebuilding projects in the Virgin Islands which have not been obligated will be paused until replenishment of the Disaster Relief Fund is enacted. I\u2019m grateful for the information and work of the Office of Disaster Recovery to obligate funding as quickly as possible.\n\n\u201cI have sought to redirect federal funding from elsewhere (such as former President Trump\u2019s border wall) into the Disaster Relief Fund until the emergency replenishment requested by President Biden goes through. I will be making further efforts with my colleagues on Capitol Hill in the coming days to see that the President\u2019s request for more disaster relief funding is fulfilled as soon as possible, as well as to work to ensure a government shutdown does not take place.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4361"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9624320082366467, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}