Nelson and Rubio demanding Congress to set aside FEMA money for Hurricane Irma.
Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio are demanding the federal government set aside emergency funding for Hurricane Irma disaster relief.
At the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center, Senator Nelson said "FEMA is out of money, period."
According to Nelson, FEMA is already pre-positioning resources/crews to come in after Irma, but adds, that with so many relief efforts going to Hurricane Harvey, he and Rubio want to make sure Florida is taken care of, and have federal emergency funds available.
“All the costs FEMA has (are) in Texas right now." he said. "They have run out of money."
Nelson said, “[We] will not have a repeat of what happened 25 years ago when the federal government was not ready with Hurricane Andrew."
Nelson is asking House and Senate leadership to include FEMA funding for Hurricane Irma within a Hurricane Harvey spending bill that is currently going through Congress.
Nelson said he and Rubio will fly back to Washington, if and when the bill goes to Senate. He stressed that emergency funds for FEMA must be approved by Friday.
County Administrator Verdenia Baker, who was alongside Nelson Wednesday afternoon, said "I believe that our government will step up to the plate."