Republican Rep. French Hill fact-checked Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on air Tuesday after she claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is “out of money” following Hurricane Helene, with Hurricane Milton on the horizon.
During the segment on Fox Business, Bartiromo criticized the Biden administration, suggesting that FEMA running out of funds was a major failure. “How is it possible that FEMA is out of money?” she asked Hill, the Arkansas representative.
Hill didn’t hesitate to shut down the claim. “FEMA is not out of money,” he clarified, adding, “Congress is prepared to replenish funding as soon as we return to Washington. FEMA has the resources to assist Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. They just need to focus on delivering aid and responding to what governors are asking for.”
Bartiromo’s statement appeared to be a distortion of comments made by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas last week. Mayorkas had mentioned that while FEMA was meeting immediate needs, the agency would need additional funds to get through the entire hurricane season. However, both the White House and Mayorkas have reassured the public that FEMA has enough resources to handle both Hurricane Milton and ongoing efforts for Hurricane Helene.
Despite this, Bartiromo doubled down, pushing a baseless claim circulated by Donald Trump that FEMA funds were being misused for “illegal immigrants” instead of disaster relief. Hill swiftly debunked this too, explaining that the money Bartiromo was referring to came from a completely different account unrelated to hurricane aid.
FEMA has also addressed this misinformation directly on their fact-checking page, stating that no disaster relief funds have been diverted away from hurricane response. The Disaster Relief Fund is specifically designated for disaster efforts, and all hurricane relief operations remain fully funded.
Hill’s willingness to set the record straight, even in the face of misleading narratives from his party and Fox News, stands as a reminder that facts matter—even when they’re inconvenient for certain talking points.
Watch the interview below:
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