The Federal Emergency Management Agency just foreshadowed a key plot line — and protested against it, too — in the new season of House of Cards on Twitter.
At least, it did if you know what the Stafford Act does.
The Stafford Act, passed in 1988, gives the President the authority to declare national emergencies and disasters — and then pump additional money into efforts to address those emergencies.
“Hey, Frank Underwood: We’re not on board with claiming your own emergencies,” FEMA tweeted, including a graphic explaining the Stafford Act.
If you’re still planning to watch House of Cards’ new season, this is a good place to stop reading.
In Season 3, main character Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey), who’s now president, is frustrated that his jobs program has stalled in Congress — and so he turns to the Stafford Act to declare unemployment a national emergency.
It’s a huge stretch of the law, but it clears the way for an Underwood stunt. The mayor of Washington then requests the funds, giving Underwood a way to test the effectiveness of his jobs program and pressure Congress to adopt it nationwide.
