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The Biden White House on Friday announced a $1 billion giveaway to Ecuador, prompting widespread anger from the American people.

“Earlier this week, as you all saw, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced a $1 billion financial initiative to support conservation of the Ecuadorian Amazon,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that afternoon.

“This is a result of the president’s recent trip to the Amazon, and a continuation of the administration’s effort to support innovative ways to address climate change through sustainable growth and development without burdening countries facing financial constraints,” she added.

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The announcement spurred anger because many Hurricane Helene victims still have yet to receive any help from the administration.

As noted by one critic, “President Biden found $1 billion to send to Ecuador to help them grow without causing global warming. Still no money for Hurricane Helene victims.”

See more responses below:

Now in fairness to the administration, Congress did finally pass a bill containing some disaster relief late Friday evening.

“The bill extends government funding until March 14 and provides more than $100 billion in disaster relief aid and $10 billion for farmers,” according to The News & Observer.

Still, some say it’s far too little, far too late, especially given the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) many missteps, particular in North Carolina, which was hit hardest by the hurricane.

As previously reported, for example, FEMA had during Thanksgiving week promised to deliver 103 trailer homes by the end of the week for displaced Hurricane Helene victims. Yet as of Dec. 4th, only 46 homes had been delivered.

“[M]ore than 500 families have been approved for a FEMA travel trailer or manufactured home in the wake of Helene,” local station WBTV reported. “The agency’s slow deployment of the homes means hundreds of families are weathering the snow and freezing temperatures currently hitting the North Carolina mountains.”

After WBTV pressed FEMA for answers, a spokesperson called to ostensibly apologize.

“The FEMA spokesperson said they had miscommunication within the agency and will caution against disseminating information with methods other than written communication in the future,” according to the station.

“The FEMA spokesperson also told WBTV that the agency will not be issuing timelines for the delivery of the homes anymore because it is too difficult to confirm a timeline,” the station’s reporting continued.

Why was it too difficult? The spokesperson blamed everybody but FEMA.

“They said that was, in part, because of the necessary utilities not being confirmed at the planned site, the weather conditions, roads being open, and the recipient showing at the scheduled time,” according to WBTV.

Vivek Saxena
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