NEW ORLEANS — In the midst of Louisianans upset with the seeming lack of help from FEMA in the wake of Hurricane Ida, U.S. senator John Kennedy, (R) LA, said FEMA has improved since he first saw the agency during Hurricane Katrina.
"I will say that FEMA is better than the first time I saw it back in Katrina... you wouldn't have hired them then to manage your lunch order, so they've improved... I want to think the best that they're getting things lined up," Kennedy told WWLTV Wednesday morning.
Kennedy said FEMA has about $40 billion in available funds to assist with hurricane relief.
"Well they've got the money," Kennedy said. "I checked Monday morning, they've got about $40 billion in their account that we have appropriated to them... and we'll see how the execute."
On Tuesday, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said FEMA deposits can be seen in checking accounts as soon as Wednesday afternoon.
A FEMA official also said the agency should not be expected to rebuild homes but instead help people get on their feet.
As far as gas shortages, Kennedy said gas tankers were supposed to be readily available to help with the high demand.
"They were supposed to have gas trucks... stationed in areas close to the state and the city so they can come right in," Kennedy said. "They tell me they have to have electricity to run the gas tanks but a lot of those trucks just pump gas directly."