**FEMA Administrator to Face Congressional Scrutiny Over Hurricane Responses and Alleged Bias**

WASHINGTON - Deanne Criswell, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is scheduled to address questions from House lawmakers regarding the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which devastated the Southeast. Criswell's testimony will begin at 10 a.m. ET before a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee, followed by a hearing at 2 p.m. ET with the House Oversight Committee.

Questions are expected to center on allegations that a FEMA employee was instructed to bypass homes displaying Trump signs in Florida. Criswell condemned the behavior and dismissed the worker, Marn'i Washington, calling the actions "reprehensible." Washington, however, claims on various news platforms that the directive came from her superiors as an effort to prevent conflicts.

Multiple House committees, including the Homeland Security Committee, are investigating these claims, with an emphasis on insights from FEMA's regional office leaders. House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., plans to discuss the situation's broader implications, stressing the necessity for accountability within the federal workforce.

In his anticipated remarks, Comer will highlight that the residents of Highlands County, Florida, were in dire need of assistance, yet faced additional hurdles due to a FEMA official's misuse of authority. He criticizes FEMA leadership for not acting against the supervisor until media coverage brought the issue to light and failing to immediately stop the discriminatory practices.

In a previous statement, Criswell emphasized that Washington's alleged directive was a blatant breach of FEMA's commitment to aid all individuals impartially. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has since filed a lawsuit against Criswell and Washington regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers may direct their inquiries towards the influence of former President Donald Trump’s statements and conspiracy theories on FEMA’s disaster response. Trump had falsely claimed that FEMA’s disaster funds were being diverted from hurricane relief to assist undocumented immigrants.

The catastrophic hurricanes left significant damage, with Hurricane Helene resulting in over 220 deaths across several states in late September, and Hurricane Milton claiming at least 17 lives in Florida in early October. In response to the ongoing crisis, the Biden administration has recently requested nearly $100 billion from Congress to support the federal response efforts.