That day, Hurricane Helene was churning toward the southeast. Congress voted to provide $20 billion to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund as part of the bill to fund the government through Dec. 20. President Joe Biden signed the bill Sept. 26.

Some Republicans railed against FEMA funding being allocated for assisting migrants after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters on Wednesday that FEMA will run out of money before the hurricane season is over. The agency is facing a multibillion-dollar deficit, even after imposing new spending restrictions.