ATLANTA – Georgia’s two U.S. senators have joined colleagues in five other Southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene to ask for quick passage of a federal disaster relief package.
Congress went into recess last week after passing a stopgap federal funding bill to cover three months of spending. While some Republicans – including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson – have argued the bill should be sufficient, Democrats and Republicans from the stricken states say more is needed.
Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast late on Sept. 26 and moved into Georgia as a Category 4 hurricane early on Sept. 27, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and widespread flooding. The death toll in Georgia stands at 33, while at least 270,000 Georgians were still without electricity as of Thursday.
“The devastation from Hurricane Helene across the southeastern United States is simply inconceivable,” Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and the senators from Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia wrote in a letter to Senate leadership. “Even preliminary damage assessments indicate that, at a minimum, the total damage and economic loss will be in the tens of billions of dollars. This amount will likely soar as recovery efforts continue and the full picture of this ruinous disaster becomes clear.
“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents. This may even require Congress to come back in October to ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”
President Joe Biden has added his voice to those urging Congress to act sooner rather than later. During an appearance at a pecan farm in South Georgia Thursday, the president urged lawmakers to pass a supplemental spending bill to speed federal aid to the victims.
“Congress has an obligation to ensure states have the resources they need,” he said.
Besides Ossoff and Warnock, signatories to the Senate letter included Republicans Thom Tillis and Ted Budd of North Carolina, Republicans Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Republicans Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Republicans Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, and Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia.