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Read. Follow. Verify.Senate Hearing on 2022 Homeland Security Budget and FEMA COVID-19 Response
Record date · January 1, 2023
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What This Bill Does
This document is a transcript of a 2021 Senate Subcommittee hearing regarding the Department of Homeland Security's budget for fiscal year 2022. The hearing focused on reviewing FEMA's massive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved over $115 billion in federal obligations.
The hearing establishes the oversight framework for how over $115 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds were managed by FEMA, impacting the availability of disaster response resources for state and local governments in fiscal year 2022.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The agency is subject to congressional oversight regarding its budget and disaster response operations.
State and local emergency management personnel
These personnel coordinate with FEMA on disaster preparation and relief efforts funded by the appropriations discussed.
Key Facts
- FEMA estimated that federal obligations for COVID-19 relief through fiscal year 2021 exceeded $115 billion.
- The $115 billion figure for COVID-19 relief is more than double the entire annual discretionary budget of the Department of Homeland Security.
- The hearing was the first meeting of the Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland Security for the 117th Congress.
- The hearing was conducted in a hybrid format, allowing members to participate both in-person and virtually.
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- The subcommittee reviewed H.R. 4431, which outlines appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.
- Robert J. Fenton, Jr. served as the Acting Administrator of FEMA during the period of the hearing.
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News Coverage
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Scale of COVID-19 Spending
The hearing highlights that FEMA's COVID-19 response spending was more than double the entire annual discretionary budget of the Department of Homeland Security.
Connected Entities
Sources
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Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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