At a House Appropriations Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) questioned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell about the border.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 >> Marilyn, Dr. Harris, the floor is yours.
00:03 >> Thank you very much and thank you, Administrator Criswell, for being here.
00:05 Thanks for your service in the past.
00:07 I'm going to ask about the shelter and services program, which is administered by FEMA
00:13 in partnership with CBP.
00:14 So my first question is, is it funded through FEMA or through CBP or through both or what?
00:20 >> The funding is appropriated to CBP and then they pass it through to FEMA.
00:26 >> So the entire amount is passed through?
00:28 >> Yes.
00:29 >> Okay, so a little federal shell game here.
00:31 Okay, because it says in your statement that FEMA's mission is to help people before, during,
00:36 and after disasters.
00:38 So do you consider the southern border a disaster?
00:41 >> I am not an immigration expert, Congressman.
00:45 My role in this is to administer the SSP program as directed by Congress to support jurisdictions
00:51 that are experiencing costs to support this.
00:55 >> Right, so you didn't answer my question.
00:56 Do you consider the southern border to be a disaster?
00:59 Because otherwise it would be inconsistent with FEMA's mission, because your mission says
01:03 you're supposed to deal with disasters.
01:06 >> FEMA's mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters, but we also have a great
01:10 level of technical capability to provide assistance and technical assistance to solve many different
01:17 problems that are out there.
01:18 >> Sure, but that exists in the entire government.
01:20 I mean, believe me, grants are administered in the entire government.
01:23 Your agency is the only one that administers local grants.
01:26 So I'm just curious to who, you know, what rocket scientists made the decision to actually put a
01:32 border issue into FEMA, because my people, you know, I represent the low-lying eastern shore of
01:38 Maryland, I want to thank you, by the way, for the work you're doing with Crisfield on resiliency.
01:42 They think of disasters as something that's not man-made.
01:47 I think most people would agree that the southern border disaster is a man-made disaster,
01:51 made by the person in the White House, you know, a mile down Pennsylvania Avenue here.
01:57 And I think it dilutes FEMA, because when I go and my people tell me, well, you know, I want to get,
02:04 you know, you should get money to FEMA.
02:05 I go, why, so they can help people cross the border illegally?
02:09 This is a sizable chunk of money, because if I'm reading it correctly, it not only announces 300
02:15 million in direct funding to communities.
02:17 Now, which is the largest recipient of that $300 million, which community?
02:24 I'll have to get that data for you.
02:29 You don't know about $300 million that was released last week by your administration?
02:35 I just don't have the breakdown in front of me.
02:37 Well, which are the three largest communities?
02:39 Which were the ones that were the big guys in this?
02:42 Certainly there are communities --
02:44 Was it New York?
02:45 Was New York one of them?
02:46 New York perhaps was one of them.
02:48 Again, I don't have the breakdown.
02:49 Did you come from New York?
02:51 I spent two years in New York.
02:52 You did.
02:53 So you actually were employed by New York City, and New York is now one of the largest recipients
02:58 of a grant that I would suggest some members think makes our borders less secure than more secure.
03:05 Okay.
03:06 Might be a coincidence, but if you can get that information to me, I'd appreciate that,
03:10 because I'd like to know where those -- my constituents would like to know where those $300 million are going.
03:16 Now, there's also $340 million in what's called -- $340 million to the shelter and services program,
03:24 competitive grant programs to be allocated for the end of this fiscal year.
03:27 So is that going to NGOs?
03:30 So the SSP program FEMA administers as directed by Congress to provide funding to support communities
03:37 and nonprofit organizations that are experiencing cost to support migration.
03:44 It has always been intended that when Congress directed it to be changed to SSP --
03:50 I'm talking about the grant program, because I'm assuming that the $300 million that goes
03:54 to communities is different from the $340 million.
03:58 That's what your press release -- I mean, this is your press release.
04:01 No, yes.
04:02 So I'm asking specifically about the grant program.
04:05 The grant program was always intended to be a competitive grant program when it turned
04:09 from ESFPH to the SSP program.
04:13 However, with the late appropriation, we had determined we needed to do a direct allocation
04:18 to get money into the hands of organizations that were experiencing costs.
04:22 While we stood up the competitive program, it will be a competitive program going forward.
04:26 Any jurisdiction would be eligible that has costs --
04:30 >> And when you mean jurisdiction -- when you mean organization, you mean jurisdiction?
04:34 >> It can be a city.
04:35 It can be a nonprofit organization.
04:37 >> Okay. So if you get the information on who are the largest recipients, I'd appreciate that.
04:41 Now, my real concern is in the last line of this press release,
04:47 because this is characteristic across the administration.
04:50 You're aware that we have limitation amendments in all the appropriations bills
04:55 that prohibit lobbying Congress.
04:58 Is that right?
04:59 So your line that says DHS continues to call on Congress to pass this,
05:03 the bipartisan border security agreement, you don't consider that lobbying?
05:08 Putting that in a press release?
05:10 I mean, this is a press release from your agency, right?
05:13 You're aware of the limitation amendment that says you are not to lobby Congress,
05:17 to spend taxpayer dollars to lobby Congress, and it says DHS continues to call on Congress.
05:23 Now, I don't know.
05:24 Call on sounds like a synonym for lobbying.
05:26 I don't know.
05:27 Maybe not.
05:28 To pass the bipartisan border security agreement.
05:32 Is it your opinion that is not lobbying?
05:34 >> It is my opinion that it's not lobbying.
05:36 >> And why is it your opinion that calling on Congress to do something is not lobbying?
05:42 I'm a member of Congress, and I'm reading this.
05:44 How is that not lobbying me?
05:46 >> Sir, we call on you to pass the budget at the same time, right?
05:50 These are acts that we know will make a difference in supporting these communities,
05:54 your jurisdictions, your communities.
05:56 >> Believe me, on this side of the dais, we fully understand what lobbying is.
06:00 We fully understand what this administration is attempting to do.
06:03 We fully understand that the border is a disaster, but it's a man-made disaster.
06:08 And honestly, I think this administration is skirting the lobbying restriction,
06:12 and I hope the next administration takes people like yourself who are lobbying Congress actively
06:18 through their communications office and actually prosecutes them under the Deficiency Act.
06:25 I yield back.
06:26 >> Any follow-ups, Mr. Cuellar?
06:32 >> A couple things.