Letter to Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator - Higgins Urges FEMA to Expedite Public Assistance Reimbursements in Response to 2020 Hurricanes
Letter
Administrator Criswell,
Thank you for participating in today's Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on
Hurricane Ida recovery efforts. Your commitment to assisting both rural and urban communities
affected by natural disasters is promising. As discussed, I have concerns over the progress made
on Public Assistance applications from Hurricane Laura (DR-4559) and Hurricane Delta (DR4570). Southwest Louisiana is appreciative of the $1.6 billion that FEMA and other agencies
have delivered to help with immediate response costs. However, this is insufficient for what is
needed for long-term recovery.
As we discussed in the hearing, FEMA's response and handling of disaster recovery
programs are a top concern for all the citizens of Louisiana. When we discuss timely responses
and delivery of disaster programs, every minute counts. Getting reimbursements to state and
local entities promptly is critical to the overall recovery effort. Please see below the summary of
entities with outstanding Public Assistance applications:
* Calcasieu Parish School Board (CPSB)
: Project Reference Numbers 171077, 163432,
163446, 171095, 163444, 171084. Additionally, CSPB has 105 Public Assistance (PA)
applications that remain outstanding:
o 2 Category A projects: $2,000,000
o 21 Category B projects: $139,251,305.80
o 82 Category E projects: $177,758,731.60
* Cameron Parish
: Total estimated damage costs unfulfilled - $44,061,449.99
* Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury : Total estimated damage costs unfulfilled -
$1,192,000.00
* City of Jennings: Project Reference Numbers 171136, 161861, 161025, 161026
* Port of Lake Charles : Project Reference Numbers 173115, 165528, 161512, 161519
* West Calcasieu Port : Project Reference Number 160575
* Lake Charles Regional Airport
: Outstanding issues regarding FEMA's Consensusbased Codes, Specifications and Standards' (CBCSS) process requirement
* Chennault International Airport: $4,000,000 in outstanding submissions.
I look forward to your reply and working with you to improve the agency's response to
natural disasters.
Regards,
Clay Higgins
Member of Congress
Source