FEMA Will Begin Denying Funding To States With "Climate Denier" Governors

The federal government likes to use federal funding as a way to lure or, once hooked, bludgeon states into going along with federal policies. Now it seems the feds will be tying federal funds to matters of ideology and political opinion.

Dispute the “climate change” consensus? Believe the threat of global warming is so much hyperbole and exaggeration based on junk science? FEMA will take action against your federal disaster funding:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain the earth isn’t warming due to human activities, or prefer to do nothing about it, into a political bind. Their position may block their states’ access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. Over the past five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

“If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn’t want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics,” said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s water program. “The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state” because of his climate beliefs.

This proposal is absolutely stunning in its scope. The federal government is basically seeking to enforce a political position on the states through the withholding of federal dollars.

What’s next? Denying Health and Human Services dollars based on the stated position of state elected leaders on abortion?

Think about the political ramifications. With this policy in place, candidates of a certain political persuasion can tell voters, “Don’t vote for my opponent, his political views will cost us federal funding.”

It’s like a modern version of the Alien and Sedition Acts. FEMA won’t be putting governor’s in jail for questioning the federal government’s official positions, but they are proposing punishment.