House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Sunday that passing additional hurricane aid for states affected by Hurricanes Helen and Milton “can wait” until Congress reconvenes after the election. Ta.
CBS' Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan explains why she thinks it's safe to wait until November for Congress to pass more aid for Hurricane Helen and Milton victims. asked.
“Well, that can wait, because the day before Hurricane Helen made landfall in Florida and then traveled north through the states and into Sen. Tillis’ North Carolina, Congress appropriated an additional $20 billion in funding for FEMA. We have the resources we need to address immediate needs,” Johnson said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., as part of a bipartisan group of senators, wrote a letter to Senate leaders urging them to consider calling lawmakers into session this month to enact disaster legislation by the end of the year. signed.
Members of the House of Commons also called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to reopen parliament. A group of Democratic lawmakers last week sent a letter urging him to do so, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) wrote on social media platform he posted. . this needs to happen. @SpeakerJohnson please call me back. ”
A continuing resolution passed by Congress last month to avert a government shutdown will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use fiscal year 2025 fund funds more quickly for disaster response during a roughly three-month interim period. Now you can. It has been withdrawing money from a pot of about $20 billion since October 1, but notably excludes any additional FEMA funding.
Johnson said as of Sunday, less than 2% of the funds already passed had been distributed. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs to “do its job” and distribute funds to affected communities.
FEMA officials have said they have enough money to respond to two hurricanes until Congress reconvenes, but they also indicated that nearly half of that money has already been spent.
He said affected states, including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, should assess the damage caused by the storm and calculate their needs before requesting additional funding from Congress.
“Once that's done, Congress will meet to address those needs in a bipartisan manner and provide additional resources, but it's too early to call everyone back now,” Johnson said.
