(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she’s willing to return to Washington to approve more funding for FEMA, but Ernst says there’s been no request from the agency for more money. “These folks are facing horrible, horrible consequences because of these storms,” Ernst says. “…Just provide us the documentation…so we know we’re doing the right thing.”

There’s currently 11 BILLION dollars in FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Fund and FEMA’s administrator says that is enough to support the on-going response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FEMA provides funding for search and rescue operations and emergency shelter after disasters. Ernst, who’s among the Republican leadership group in the U-S Senate, says the head of the Small Business Administration told her this (Thursday) morning that the S-B-A is quickly running out of loan money.

“I want to see numbers, O.K.? I was a county auditor. The numbers matter,” Ernst says, “so present us with the information, the facts and most certainly if you do need those dollars, we want to ensure that you get those dollars.” But Ernst says the Office of Management and Budget has not presented congress with documentation that the S-B-A or FEMA need emergency funding now. Congress is set to reconvene November 12th.