2 Days After Pledging Shelter for Rich LA Libs, Biden Boots 3,000 NC Families Into Streets During Snow Storm
With just days remaining in his presidency, President Joe Biden is making his priorities clear.
Unfortunately, they seem to be the wrong ones.
Take the case of the Southern California wildfires. The region, ravaged by unprecedented blazes, faces catastrophic destruction exacerbated by unprepared public officials. On Thursday, during a briefing from Washington, Biden pledged full federal disaster coverage for six months to address the crisis.
“I told the governor and local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires,” Biden said in remarks at the White House, describing the fires as “devastating” and “catastrophic.”
“We’re doing literally everything we can at a federal level,” he added.
The president’s promise to cover 100% of disaster response costs for the next 180 days marks an increase from the previous 75% coverage and even exceeds the 90% requested by California Governor Gavin Newsom, CBS News reported.
“The damage is expected to be one of the most expensive disasters in California history. Three fires are still raging,” Biden said, noting that 179,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes.
While it’s reasonable for the federal government to support disaster relief efforts in California, one can’t help but notice the disparity in how aid is being distributed across the country. Wealthy coastal areas like those affected by the wildfires—home to many high-profile Democratic donors—seem to be prioritized over others.
Meanwhile, thousands of families in North Carolina, displaced by Hurricane Helene in September, face eviction from their temporary housing provided by FEMA—just as a winter storm looms.
WBTV-TV in Charlotte reported that FEMA’s “Transitional Sheltering Assistance” program, which funds hotel stays for disaster survivors, is set to end Saturday, Jan. 11. Families currently in the program must check out of hotels that day.
The program initially supported 10,000 families, but 3,500 are still relying on it as they struggle to repair their homes or secure permanent housing. FEMA deemed some of these families ineligible due to “habitable” home conditions, lack of inspection access, or failure to contact applicants.
The timing is grim. As WBTV noted, “A winter storm was set to hit the region on Friday, Jan. 10, bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain across parts of North Carolina.”
FEMA’s missteps during Hurricane Helene are widely regarded as a key factor in Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss in North Carolina to Donald Trump. Yet, despite the lessons of that political fallout, the administration seems content to leave struggling families in the cold—literally.
Meanwhile, California’s affluent areas like Malibu get a blank check: “Spare no expense,” Biden proclaimed. The decision comes amid increasing scrutiny from conservatives, who argue that liberal policies contributed to Southern California’s inability to respond effectively to the disaster.
It’s hard to ignore the optics. The president’s decision to cover 100% of California’s disaster response costs appears to align with political expediency rather than fairness. For North Carolinians, still reeling from Helene’s impact, the message is clear: If you’re not part of the Democratic base, don’t expect to be a priority.