Senator Shelley Moore Capito joined a letter — led by Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) — to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell last week.
The letter expresses concern over recent reports that a FEMA employee told disaster assistance teams in Florida responding to Hurricane Milton to avoid homes that had yard signs supporting President-Elect Donald Trump.
The employee has since claimed that the orders to avoid the homes came from supervisors at FEMA, which has raised grave concerns over potential widespread politicization of disaster relief, Capito said.
In the letter, the senators demand answers, accountability and transparency to hold the agency accountable to the American people and ensure that FEMA employees are providing support to all victims.
“Given the shocking and reprehensible nature of these allegations, our constituents deserve immediate answers and maximum transparency. As Members of Congress, we are committed to holding those responsible accountable and making sure that rank weaponization against the American public is never tolerated,” the senators wrote.
Capito raised the issue with Criswell directly during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to review disaster funding needs, according to her office. She also shared her opinion on the reports on social media and said she was disgusted that aid was withheld from individuals in distress due to their support for Trump. She said FEMA should be more efficient and ensure that no one is withheld relief based on political affiliations.
“If that particular FEMA employee had come to West Virginia, we wouldn’t have gotten much help because we’ve got a lot of Trump signs all throughout our state,” Capito said.