California – California Senator Adam Schiff placed FEMA funding back in the middle of a heated Senate fight Thursday, arguing that states hit by fires, floods and other disasters should not be left waiting while already-approved federal aid remains delayed.
Schiff, a Democrat from California and one of the most closely watched figures in Washington, used a post on X to draw attention to his latest push.
Known for often drawing sharp criticism from Republicans, Schiff framed the issue as a direct test of whether Congress would move faster for communities still trying to recover from natural disasters.
“States across the nation are waiting on FEMA to deliver key funding,” Schiff wrote on X, formerly Twitter
“I just offered a measure to force the release of billions of dollars that California and other states are waiting for to help with fire, flood and other recovery efforts.”
States across the nation are waiting on FEMA to deliver key funding.
I just offered a measure to force the release of billions of dollars that California and other states are waiting for to help with fire, flood and other recovery efforts.
The measure failed on a tie vote, 49… https://t.co/By9J4R8X32
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) April 23, 2026
The proposal, however, did not survive the Senate vote.
According to the official Senate Press Gallery update shared by Schiff, the Senate voted 49-49 on Schiff Amendment #5333, meaning the chamber did not adopt the measure.
The amendment sought to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund tied to requiring the obligation of amounts already appropriated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for public assistance and hazard mitigation programs.
In plain terms, Schiff’s amendment was aimed at pressing FEMA to move money that states say they are still waiting to receive. The funding is connected to recovery work after disasters, including wildfire damage, flooding and mitigation projects meant to reduce future risks.
The vote showed a narrow but dramatic split.
Most Democrats backed the amendment, while three Republicans crossed party lines and supported it: Susan Collins of Maine, Ashley Moody of Florida and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Two senators did not vote: Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia.
After the amendment failed, Schiff blamed Republican opposition for blocking the effort.
“The measure failed on a tie vote, 49 to 49, because a majority of Republicans, even some from states waiting for their own rebuilding help, blocked that relief,” Schiff wrote.
The vote landed at a time when disaster funding remains a politically sensitive issue across the country.
California has faced repeated wildfire recovery needs, while other states have dealt with floods, storms and other emergencies that have placed pressure on FEMA’s public assistance and hazard mitigation programs.
Supporters of Schiff’s approach argued that delayed federal aid can slow rebuilding, leave local governments exposed to mounting costs and make recovery harder for families who are already living with the damage.
Opponents, meanwhile, did not give Schiff the votes needed to move the amendment across the finish line. Because the Senate split evenly at 49-49, the proposal fell short, even with support from Collins, Moody and Murkowski.
The failed vote quickly spilled online, where the reaction was sharp and angry.
Users flooded the comments beneath the Senate Press Gallery post and Schiff’s thread, with many criticizing the amendment’s wording, the broader fight over FEMA, and the partisan standoff over disaster recovery dollars.
“You stupid fool, remember your party shutdown the government twice in 6 months and the last shutdown included FEMA?” one user wrote.
“No one wants to send more money to California quite possibly the fraud capital of the world. Clean up your fraud rather then try to outlaw exposing it!,” the same user added.
“Oh this is rich. How many times have you voted to keep DHS unfunded????????,” disturbed X user commented.
“Fck Adam Schiff, the lying POS should be in prison,” @GuntherEagleman said.
“Translation you need money to launder,” a user that goes by the alias Topcat777 said.
@Memzies25 said “Maybe not waste state funding on a bridge for butterflies if FEMA funding is so important.”
The result left the measure dead for now, but the fight over FEMA dollars is not likely to disappear. As long as states continue waiting for money tied to fires, floods and rebuilding work, the pressure on Congress and the administration to explain the delays will remain.
