Latest news with #Moskowitz
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Will federal cuts and state budget battle put Florida's hurricane readiness in peril?
Florida's traditional preparations for hurricane season are being blown off course by a budget stalemate in Tallahassee – and sharp cuts in Washington, D.C. A dispute between GOP state House and Senate leaders means the typical sales tax holiday on hurricane preparedness items won't be held at the onset of hurricane season as it usually does. The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 till Nov. 30. And the winnowing of the federal workforce has hit some agencies important to hurricane forecasting and response, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leading some to question whether the state will be able to handle a busy hurricane season. 'I am worried that FEMA is going to fail this summer,' U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Coral Springs Democrat, told a U.S. House committee May 11. Moskowitz was Florida's emergency management director under Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019-2021. He agrees FEMA needs reform and could give block grants to states – something DeSantis has repeatedly argued for – but was alarmed that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem advocated for shuttering the agency entirely. And when Cameron Hamilton, the acting FEMA administrator, told a Congressional committee on May 7 he didn't believe they should shutter the agency, he was ousted the next day. Moskowitz believes eliminating FEMA would bankrupt small states hit with a disaster and could even imperil large states: 'Florida and Texas might be able to survive one hurricane this summer without having to cut health care or education or their (transportation) budget – but not two.' At NOAA, which houses the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, nearly 1,000 employees were fired or took buyouts under pressure from the Trump administration. Leaders at NOAA and FEMA have said they still retain the resources necessary to be prepared for hurricane season. Gov. Ron DeSantis, too, has said Florida will be ready with or without FEMA. At an event in Tampa recently, he said Florida's preparation gathering resources and coordinating utilities and line workers to restore power is done without federal help. FEMA reimburses local governments for debris removal and helps individuals with housing, food and supplies in the aftermath of a storm; DeSantis said he assumes those programs will still be available. 'On the core preparation, response and then stabilize and get people back to normal - just know that we've never relied on FEMA for any of that here in the state of Florida,' DeSantis said. 'If we're called upon to do it again for this hurricane season, we will do it again.' But Florida residents could miss out on a sales tax holiday to stock up on their own gear to prepare for storm season. House and Senate leaders have deadlocked over the budget, including over a tax cut bill, meaning no hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday has been approved yet this year. Lawmakers have passed 11 such holidays since 2006, including at least one every year since 2017. The holiday typically includes items like batteries, radios, tarps, generators and flashlights that would be exempt from sales taxes. The Senate included a holiday that would run from May 15–31 in its tax package (SB 7034) but the House didn't include any sales tax holiday in its bill (HB 7033). House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, has pushed for an overall reduction in the sales tax for all items, moving it from 6% to 5.25%, and slighted the idea of sales tax holidays in the process. 'This will not be a temporary measure, a stunt or a tax holiday,' Perez said March 26 in unveiling his plan. 'This will be a permanent, recurring tax reduction. This will be the largest state tax cut in the history of Florida.' But Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, has been wary of cutting the rate too drastically. And DeSantis killed a tentative 'framework' for a deal between the chambers that included a smaller sales tax cut, leaving a budget stalemate in place. Lawmakers have until June 30 to pass a final budget, which DeSantis then must approve, to avoid a partial state government shutdown. The state's 2025-26 fiscal year starts July 1. If a hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday is included in a final tax cut bill, it is unclear when it would start. But it likely wouldn't be until well into hurricane season, as the state's Department of Revenue and retailers would have to prepare for it even after the bill was signed into law. DeSantis, who included the sales tax holiday in his budget recommendations, said May 29 he wants lawmakers to include it in any final bill. Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@ Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Will budget battles put Florida's hurricane readiness in peril?
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moskowitz, expert in disaster management, warns FEMA ‘is going to fail' during hurricane season
Congressman Jared Moskowitz issued a dire warning just days before the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season, predicting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency 'is going to fail this summer.' Moskowitz delivered the ominous assessment to his colleagues during a House committee hearing. 'I would tell you that the secretary of Homeland Security has turned FEMA into the Newark airport,' he said, explaining that 'I'm giving you the current state of affairs in an agency that has been absolutely destroyed.' During his presentation on Wednesday, Moskowitz added that, 'We may get lucky and hopefully we do. Hopefully we don't have a bad hurricane this season. Hopefully we don't have some unforeseen disaster … because they have decimated FEMA in ways that we won't know until it happens.' A senior spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that FEMA is being improved and is ready for hurricane season, which begins June. 1. Also on Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that 'the season is expected to be above normal.' Moskowitz, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, is a Democratic member of Congress predicting problems with an agency run by President Donald Trump's administration. But he has extensive disaster management experience, including first-hand knowledge of FEMA's abilities, and its failings. Before he was elected to Congress, Moskowitz was the Florida emergency management director — appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — a role that had him working closely with FEMA. Earlier in his career he was a general counsel for AshBritt Inc., a national disaster response company based in Deerfield Beach. Moskowitz delivered his assessment to the House Rules Committee as it was working its way through proposals to reduce taxes, increase and decrease various categories of federal spending, and increase the federal deficit. The widely reported turmoil at FEMA, including staffing reductions, means needed 'resources are going to come slower,' Moskowitz said. 'Think about it. You don't get to move your logistics. You don't get to move your water, your ice, your power generation, any of your stuff.' His warning came one day after DeSantis aimed to allay concerns that the widely reported turmoil engulfing FEMA would have negative impacts during hurricane season. The things that people care about most, such as power restoration, have nothing to do with FEMA, DeSantis said. 'On the core prep, response and then stabilize and get people back to normal, just know that we've never relied on FEMA for any of that here in the state of Florida,' the governor said Tuesday. 'Just know in Florida, our preparations and our immediate response always assumed FEMA wouldn't be there for us, OK?' As hurricane season nears, DeSantis allays concern about federal disaster agency: 'We've never relied on FEMA' Moskowitz, Donalds seek independence for embattled FEMA to improve it DeSantis says anyone running for Florida governor as a Democrat is 'dead meat' South Florida's Jared Moskowitz says he won't become Trump's FEMA chief. 'I am staying in Congress.' Florida's 2026 governor race: Would third-party candidates lock in another Republican victory? And on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security disputed Moskowitz's conclusions. 'Under Secretary (Kristi) Noem and Acting Administrator (David) Richardson, FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens. The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, and the efforts of Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season,' the senior spokesperson said via email. Moskowitz said change is needed at FEMA. He and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a southwest Florida Republican and candidate for governor, are co-sponsoring legislation to implement changes at FEMA and move it out of the Department of Homeland Security. 'There's no doubt that FEMA needed reform, but what they've done at Homeland (Security) is they've taken something that needed help and they broke it further,' he said. Trump has said that federal disaster assistance should be scaled back, with states shouldering much more responsibility, and he's talked about the idea of eliminating FEMA. But Moskowitz asserted that Trump might not be aware of what is happening at the agency. 'I don't think the president is aware of the current condition of FEMA and its potential inability to perform.' The congressman attributed some of the problems to the impact of DOGE, the widely used acronym for the effort authorized by Trump and presided over by billionaire Elon Musk to end federal programs and fire employees that they call the Department of Government Efficiency. 'Remember that DOGE? Remember the 'E' at the end of DOGE, the word 'efficiency?' Nothing at FEMA has been made more efficient,' Moskowitz said. 'Grants are paused. What does that mean that all grants are paused? That means states right now that are going into hurricane season, don't know whether or not they're going to get a (disaster) declaration, which this administration is holding back,' Moskowitz said, explaining that for states responding to a disaster, 'You can't move. You can't respond. You can't spend money because you don't know that you're going to get reimbursed.' He said vendors aren't being paid, which means they can't pay subcontractors and 'they're not going to be ready to perform in hurricane season.' And, he said, staffing has been reduced through firings and voluntary departures. 'You've got regional offices in FEMA now that are half-empty.' In December, CNN reported that Moskowitz was considered 'a top contender' to head FEMA in the Trump administration. Moskowitz at the time termed it 'rumor and conjecture,' adding that, 'nothing was ever offered.' FEMA does not have a Senate-confirmed administrator. Earlier this month, the Trump administration fired the acting FEMA administrator — a day after he appeared before a House subcommittee and said he did not believe the agency should be eliminated. The current acting administrator, David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who had been the assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction at the Department of Homeland Security, warned the FEMA staff not to try to impede upcoming changes. If they do, he told employees, 'I will run right over you.' Anthony Man can be reached at aman@ and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, expert in disaster management, warns FEMA ‘is going to fail' during hurricane season
Congressman Jared Moskowitz issued a dire warning just days before the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season, predicting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency 'is going to fail this summer.' Moskowitz, D-Fla., delivered the ominous assessment to his colleagues during a House committee hearing. 'I would tell you that the secretary of Homeland Security has turned FEMA into the Newark airport,' he said, explaining that 'I'm giving you the current state of affairs in an agency that has been absolutely destroyed.' During his presentation on Wednesday, Moskowitz added that, 'We may get lucky and hopefully we do. Hopefully we don't have a bad hurricane this season. Hopefully we don't have some unforeseen disaster … because they have decimated FEMA in ways that we won't know until it happens.' A senior spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that FEMA is being improved and is ready for hurricane season, which begins June. 1. Also on Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that 'the season is expected to be above normal.' Moskowitz, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, is a Democratic member of Congress predicting problems with an agency run by President Donald Trump's administration. But he has extensive disaster management experience, including first-hand knowledge of FEMA's abilities, and its failings. Before he was elected to Congress, Moskowitz was the Florida emergency management director — appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — a role that had him working closely with FEMA. Earlier in his career he was a general counsel for AshBritt Inc., a national disaster response company based in Deerfield Beach. Moskowitz delivered his assessment to the House Rules Committee as it was working its way through proposals to reduce taxes, increase and decrease various categories of federal spending, and increase the federal deficit. The widely reported turmoil at FEMA, including staffing reductions, means needed 'resources are going to come slower,' Moskowitz said. 'Think about it. You don't get to move your logistics. You don't get to move your water, your ice, your power generation, any of your stuff.' His warning came one day after DeSantis aimed to allay concerns that the widely reported turmoil engulfing FEMA would have negative impacts during hurricane season. The things that people care about most, such as power restoration, have nothing to do with FEMA, DeSantis said. 'On the core prep, response and then stabilize and get people back to normal, just know that we've never relied on FEMA for any of that here in the state of Florida,' the governor said Tuesday. 'Just know in Florida, our preparations and our immediate response always assumed FEMA wouldn't be there for us, OK?' And on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security disputed Moskowitz's conclusions. 'Under Secretary (Kristi) Noem and Acting Administrator (David) Richardson, FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens. The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, and the efforts of Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season,' the senior spokesperson said via email. Moskowitz said change is needed at FEMA. He and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a southwest Florida Republican and candidate for governor, are co-sponsoring legislation to implement changes at FEMA and move it out of the Department of Homeland Security. 'There's no doubt that FEMA needed reform, but what they've done at Homeland (Security) is they've taken something that needed help and they broke it further,' he said. Trump has said that federal disaster assistance should be scaled back, with states shouldering much more responsibility, and he's talked about the idea of eliminating FEMA. But Moskowitz asserted that Trump might not be aware of what is happening at the agency. 'I don't think the president is aware of the current condition of FEMA and its potential inability to perform.' The congressman attributed some of the problems to the impact of DOGE, the widely used acronym for the effort authorized by Trump and presided over by billionaire Elon Musk to end federal programs and fire employees that they call the Department of Government Efficiency. 'Remember that DOGE? Remember the 'E' at the end of DOGE, the word 'efficiency?' Nothing at FEMA has been made more efficient,' Moskowitz said. 'Grants are paused. What does that mean that all grants are paused? That means states right now that are going into hurricane season, don't know whether or not they're going to get a (disaster) declaration, which this administration is holding back,' Moskowitz said, explaining that for states responding to a disaster, 'You can't move. You can't respond. You can't spend money because you don't know that you're going to get reimbursed.' He said vendors aren't being paid, which means they can't pay subcontractors and 'they're not going to be ready to perform in hurricane season.' And, he said, staffing has been reduced through firings and voluntary departures. 'You've got regional offices in FEMA now that are half empty.' In December, CNN reported that Moskowitz was considered 'a top contender' to head FEMA in the Trump administration. Moskowitz at the time termed it 'rumor and conjecture,' adding that, 'nothing was ever offered.' FEMA does not have a Senate-confirmed administrator. Earlier this month, the Trump administration fired the acting FEMA administrator — a day after he appeared before a House subcommittee and said he did not believe the agency should be eliminated. The current acting administrator, David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who had been the assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction at the Department of Homeland Security, warned the FEMA staff not to try to impede upcoming changes. If they do, he told employees, 'I will run right over you.' _____
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CUB WARNS AMEREN CUSTOMERS OF JUNE 1 ELECTRICITY PRICE SPIKE
Supply Charge On Bills Projected To Spiral By About 50 Percent CHICAGO, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Illinois' summer price for electricity will soar by an estimated 50 percent on June 1, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) warned in a consumer alert Thursday, as the watchdog urged the utility to work with customers struggling to pay their bills so they can keep their power on during hot weather. At a news conference, CUB explained the causes of the price spike – including the regional power grid operator's new methodology for pricing reserve power that unacceptably raised consumer costs. CUB has launched which has tips on how to get through an expensive summer. While cautioning that pricing has not been finalized, CUB said Ameren has reported that its electricity supply rate, also known as the "price to compare," is set to increase by about 50 percent, to about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on June 1. This higher rate, which includes the supply price, a transmission charge and a "supply cost adjustment," will increase summer power bills (June through September) by 18 percent to 22 percent, Ameren has estimated. In October, the price is expected to decrease–to roughly 8 cents to 9 cents per kWh, Ameren said. "We urge Ameren Illinois to work with customers to keep their power on this summer, so they can stay safe and cool," CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. "High bills can be stressful, so we ask people across central and southern Illinois to check on neighbors, friends and family this summer to make sure nobody is taking risks by keeping their homes too hot. Long-term, this price spike just shows we've got to keep working for consumer protections for electric customers." Moskowitz called for passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (SB2473/HB3779) in Springfield. The bill would implement a number of pro-consumer clean energy policies, including expanding energy efficiency and other programs that help reduce demand. She also said there is a continuing need for reform at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional grid operator for all or parts of 15 states from the upper Midwest through Ameren Illinois' territory in central and southern Illinois and down to Louisiana. CUB provided information about the price spike as well as consumer tips: What's the cause? The price for reserve power—called "capacity"—skyrocketed in a MISO-run auction that has a major impact on what consumers pay for electricity. In addition to years-long delays in connecting power plants that could help lower prices–which is also a problem with PJM Interconnection, northern Illinois' grid operator–perhaps the biggest factor in the price spike was that MISO introduced a new pricing methodology that CUB said unfairly compromised affordability in the latest capacity auction. What part of the bill is impacted? Supply, which is the cost of the actual electricity, and transmission. This makes up about a half to two-thirds of bills. Ameren does not profit off this price spike–under law the utility is required to pass supply costs onto customers with no markup. (Ameren profits off rate hikes on the delivery side of bills.) If Ameren doesn't profit off this spike, who does? Big energy companies that sell electricity to utilities. Moskowitz outlined key consumer tips on Practice energy efficiency. Simple things like weatherizing windows and doors–to keep cool air in and warm air out–can help soften the blow of this price spike. But don't take unnecessary risks that keep your home too hot and threaten your health. Efficiency is about eliminating waste but staying safe and cool this summer. Stay in contact with your utility. Keep the lines of communication open this summer. Consumers who are struggling should contact Ameren to inquire about payment plans to pay off debt. CUB called for Ameren to offer good payment plans to help more utility customers stay connected this summer. Ask Ameren Illinois about special programs. Inquire about energy efficiency programs that could help you cut your bills. Also, consider signing up for Ameren's Peak Time Rewards program, which gives residential customers the opportunity to earn bill credits by reducing electricity usage during times of high electricity demand, typically summer afternoons. See if you qualify for energy assistance. To learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), visit or call the Help Illinois Families Assistance Line at 1-833-711-0374. Beware of alternative supplier rip-offs. Alternative electricity suppliers are impacted by the same market conditions that are causing utility prices to increase, so be careful about getting lured into bad deals. Since 2015, Illinois consumers have lost about $1.8 billion to alternative power suppliers. It's likely, even in this expensive market, that your utility is your best bet. An exception: Many communities in central and southern Illinois have negotiated power deals with a supplier. If your community is one of them, savings aren't guaranteed but it's possible the price is lower than what Ameren's supply rate will be on June 1. Confirm the price and find out when the offer expires. Consider a community solar deal to help ease costs. Community solar offers currently guarantee savings compared to the utility's supply price. But be a careful shopper: Get more information at our special website, If you're interested in installing solar panels, consider the next steps. Learn more about rooftop solar. Also, CUB has information about income-qualified solar programs. Be a good neighbor. Make sure friends, family and neighbors stay safe and cool this summer. For more than 40 years the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has been Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog group. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has helped save consumers more than $20 billion by blocking rate hikes and securing refunds. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, at 1-800-669-5556, or visit CUB's website, View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Citizens Utility Board Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Democrat: FEMA ‘is going to fail this summer'
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) warned Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is ill prepared for hurricane season and 'is going to fail this summer.' In remarks at a House Rules Committee hearing Wednesday, Moskowitz said the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) steep budget cuts and grant pauses have made FEMA inefficient and risk sending hurricane-prone states into bankruptcy if they don't get approval for federal aid when the next storm hits. 'Remember that 'DOGE'? Remember the E at the end of DOGE? The word 'efficiency'?' Moskowitz asked in his remarks. 'Nothing at FEMA has been made more efficient.' 'In fact, I would tell you that the secretary of Homeland Security has turned FEMA into the Newark Airport, OK? It is going to fail this summer,' Moskowitz continued, referring to the staffing and logistical issues at the New Jersey international airport. 'And so look, there's no doubt that FEMA needed reform, but what they've done at Homeland is they've taken something that needed help and they broke it further,' Moskowitz said. He noted that some of the most at-risk states are areas represented by Republican leadership — such as Louisiana, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R) are from. 'Louisiana goes bankrupt without FEMA, when there's a hurricane that comes in from the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, comes right into Louisiana, they're bankrupt,' Moskowitz said, noting the same is true for Alabama and Mississippi, especially when tornadoes strike. 'Those states go bankrupt without FEMA. And yet, I don't see my Republican colleagues calling out the administration on how we're going to save FEMA and reform it,' he added. In recent months, the White House has taken numerous steps to strip funds from FEMA, which has long been a target for some Republicans. FEMA ended its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, intended to help communities prepare for natural disasters, labeling it 'wasteful and ineffective.' The agency canceled applications from 2020 and 2023 and reabsorbed unclaimed funds. FEMA has also frozen nearly $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits pending review. Moskowitz, who served as Florida's director of Emergency Management before joining Congress, noted funding freezes have led to delays in payments to vendors and states, disrupting disaster-prevention efforts. Moskowitz accused Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem of failing to warn the president of the impact of some of the cuts that the department is making. 'There's dramatic improvement that needs to be done at FEMA. But I'm deeply concerned at what's happened at Homeland, and I don't think the president is aware of the current condition that the secretary has put him [in] and the men and women that work there and the states that are going to go to FEMA and rely on them to help them in their time of need,' Moskowitz said. 'And those resources are going to come slower.' He pointed to his background in emergency management. 'Let me remind you: I did this for a living, for a Republican governor. I worked for Ron DeSantis for two and a half years, took my political hat off, so I'm not giving you partisan coverage. I'm giving you the current state of affairs in an agency that has been absolutely destroyed.' A DHS spokesperson fired back at Moskowitz and defended actions at FEMA, saying the agency 'is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.' 'Under Secretary Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens,' they said in a statement. 'The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.' Updated at noon EDT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
