FEMA funds could last through week

By Russell Berman - 09/26/11 02:16 PM ET

The thinning coffers of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could hold up for a few more days, officials said Monday, giving Congress more time to resolve its dispute over disaster aid funding.

FEMA had expected its disaster relief fund to run dry on Tuesday or Wednesday, but an agency aide said updated estimates indicate the fund “could reach zero closer to the end of the week.”

The Senate plans to hold a critical vote later Monday afternoon on a Democratic amendment to a House-passed federal spending bill. The measure includes $3.65 billion in funds for FEMA, including $1 billion aimed at carrying the agency through the final few days of fiscal 2011, which ends Sept. 30.

Both the House and Senate measure include the same amount of FEMA funding, but Democrats and Republicans are fighting over offsetting spending cuts included in the House bill, which passed Friday with Republican support.

FEMA’s account has been stretched because of several natural disasters in recent months, including Hurricane Irene, wildfires in Texas, a tornado in Joplin, Mo., and the East Coast earthquake.

FEMA’s precise balance could have political implications. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is trying to force Republicans to give up their demands to offset emergency disaster funds for the remainder of fiscal 2011. If FEMA can make it until the end of the fiscal year, Democrats could succeed in forcing the restoration of $1.5 billion in cuts to an alternative energy manufacturing program.

The House has already left for a scheduled recess, and Republican leaders are loath to call lawmakers back to Washington.

A Senate Democratic leadership aide said Monday the stretching of FEMA’s disaster fund through the end of the week “would appear to be an obvious way out for both sides.”

As of Monday morning, the FEMA disaster fund’s balance stood at $114 million, the aide said. The pace at which the fund will run dry depends on a variety of factors, including the number of disaster survivors who register for assistance in the coming days.

And of course, Mother Nature plays a key role: “It’s also important to remember that this estimate assumes that no new disasters strike between now and when the fund may reach zero,” the FEMA aide said.