As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) runs out of money for flood victims across South Dakota, Congresswoman Kristi Noem will be on vacation Monday raising money for the Republican Party in Rapid City, SD. 

“Congresswoman Noem is raising money for the GOP at the same time that South Dakota’s flood victims are running out of support from Washington,” says Ben Nesselhuf, Chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party. “Her priorities are flat out disturbing.”

Appearing at a fundraiser on Monday at 6pm in Rapid City for the local GOP, Noem is leaving Washington before differences between competing Senate and House bills on FEMA funding have been resolved.

Last week, the Senate passed a measure with bipartisan support that provides $6.9 billion for FEMA to continue recovery and rebuilding projects in disaster areas across South Dakota. The House pushed through its own measure on Thursday with half the amount of disaster assistance and additional cuts to a federal loan guarantee program that supports job creators like Poet LLC.

Without the House and Senate working together to find a solution, FEMA will run out of money for individual assistance and recovery projects as soon as Tuesday, officials say, and the federal government could face a partial shutdown by the end of the week.

That’s an outcome South Dakota’s flood victims cannot afford, says Nesselhuf. “Government can’t respond to disasters across South Dakota if Noem won’t stay in Washington to do her job. Going on vacation to raise money leaves our flood victims stranded and risks another potential government shutdown,” says Nesselhuf.

“America has always come together to help when natural disasters strike,” Nesselhuf says, “but now that flooding has devastated communities here at home, Congresswoman Noem is leaving flood victims stranded.”

For more information, please contact Ben Nesselhuf at 605-271-5405 or ben@sddp.org

Background

Noem to Appear at GOP Fundraiser in Rapid City

If you go
Rep. Kristi Noem will appear in Rapid City Monday at a fundraiser for the Pennington County Republican Party.
What: Pennington County Republican Party fundraiser
When: 6 p.m., Monday
Where: Canyon Lake Chophouse, 2720 Chapel Lane
Cost: $20 per adult [Rapid City Journal, 9.24.11]

FEMA’s Disaster Fund May Go Broke by Tuesday

“States and cities affected by recent natural disasters may be not be able to get federal relief starting Tuesday if Congress doesn’t act this weekend to shore up funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.As of Friday morning, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund had just $175 million and will likely be empty next week for the first time in its history, the agency said. It is consulting with White House lawyers to determine what to do if funds dry up.” [Washington Post, 9.23.11]