“This week, FEMA released over $5 billion in recovery funding for projects, some dating back as far as 15 years — a significant win for states, local governments, and hospitals,” a FEMA spokesperson said. Trump and Noem have blamed Democrats for the budgetary impasse, which they say is hampering disaster response work and holding up relief. But the Disaster Relief Fund that FEMA uses to support disaster response and relief efforts is a separate pool of money appropriated by Congress and not affected by the current lapse in DHS funding, FEMA sources have told CNN. Noem’s department had already begun to ramp up the distribution of funds, announcing disaster aid for states like Georgia and Tennessee in recent weeks. During a House Appropriations hearing this month, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, pressed a top Trump FEMA official about the backlog.

Source: CNN February 27, 2026 00:15 UTC