Sign the urgent petition to tell Congress: There is no time to waste! Come back into session and pass disaster relief funding to support Hurricane Milton and Helene relief efforts NOW!

Dear MoveOn member,

As you read this, our neighbors in Florida are fleeing and bracing for Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic, which hit 180 mph sustained winds on Monday. And communities in the southeastern parts of the country that were devastated and destroyed by Hurricane Helene are still reeling and recovering.

But the truth is, the Disaster Relief Fund, whose budget is set by Congress, "does not have the funds to make it through" the rest of the hurricane season.¹ Despite the fact that Americans are suffering through the aftermath of being battered by a catastrophic hurricane, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said that "there's no rush for Congress to approve hurricane relief."² It's egregious, and there is zero time to waste. There are lives and entire communities at stake.

John, communities experiencing climate catastrophes need our help right now. Will you sign the petition to demand that Congress come back into session and pass the relief funding that our communities desperately need NOW?

The misinformation that the Republican members of Congress have been spreading about FEMA and its response to Hurricane Helene has been dangerous. Even the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said the false conspiracry theories are dissauding Helene survivors from seeking the urgent help they need.³ The truth is that, in response to Hurricane Helene, FEMA has provided more than $137 million in assistance, including deploying 7,000 federal personnel, providing nearly 15 million meals, 14 million gallons of water, 157 generators, and rescuing more than 3,000 North Carolinians and counting.⁴

But there are still nearly two months left of hurricane season, and hurricanes aren't the only climate crises that our country is facing. Our communities can't wait until Congress comes back into session on November 12. They need relief and they need it NOW.

Congress must come back into session to pass disaster relief funding NOW. Click here to join nearly 30,000 fellow MoveOn members and sign the petition, and then send it to three friends to spread the word.

Thanks for all you do.

–Jensine, Mia, Aliya, Isbah, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Fact-checking falsehoods about FEMA funding and Hurricane Helene," NPR, October 7, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198163?t=5&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

2. Ibid.

3. "'The worst I have ever seen’: Disinformation chaos hammers FEMA,'" Politico, October 8, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198164?t=7&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

4. "Fact-checking falsehoods about FEMA funding and Hurricane Helene," NPR, October 7, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198163?t=9&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

Urgent: Sign the petition to demand that Congress come back into session and pass funding to FULLY support Hurricane Helene relief efforts NOW!

Dear MoveOn member,

Americans in the southeastern part of the country are struggling with the wreckage caused by Hurricane Helene. At least 140 people have died and hundreds more are missing after the hurricane pummeled Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, devastating many homes and communities.⁵ The death toll could surpass 600, and more than 2 million people remain without power.⁶ Neighbors and local governments are doing what they can to respond to this crisis, but they need help.

When natural disasters like Hurricane Helene strike, residents need to know that their government and community have their back. Will you sign the petition to demand that Congress return to pass disaster relief NOW?

Congress has the power to make sure that our neighbors in states impacted by Category 4 Hurricane Helene get the funding needed for rescue efforts to save lives, basic necessities like water, food, and prescriptions, and rebuilding their communities, homes, roads, businesses, and infrastructure.⁷ Congress is currently out of session through November 12, but relief can't wait. So we have to come together to make sure they return and get it done—because hundreds of thousands of impacted people are counting on the lifesaving resources that Congress can deliver.

John, will you sign the petition to demand that members of Congress come back into session and pass funding to FULLY support Hurricane Helene relief efforts NOW?

President Biden and congressional leaders have the power to call Congress back into session. They must do so and Congress must come back into session to pass a supplemental funding package that will support Hurricane Helene relief efforts NOW.

Just last week, Congress passed a bill that would fund the government through December, but despite forecasted hurricanes and wildfires raging, it left out billions of dollars that were requested for supplemental disaster funding—which would’ve been available now to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.⁸

Frustrated by underfunded disaster relief, Representative Kathy Castor of Florida said, "The right-wingers here, the MAGA crowd, even after disasters happen, they have opposed disaster aid for communities in need.^"9 It's completely unacceptable.

Members of Congress must right this wrong immediately by coming back into session and passing a supplemental funding package that will support Hurricane Helene relief efforts NOW! Click here to sign the petition.

FEMA's disaster relief fund is already depleted and is currently at a nearly $2 billion deficit, forcing them to hold back billions of dollars in rebuilding projects to support more lifesaving work.¹⁰ But this was avoidable. FEMA should have the funding it needs to provide relief to our communities, which are enduring one climate catastrophe after another.

Disaster funding should never be a partisan issue. Our communities that have been harmed by Hurricane Helene can't wait until Congress is back in session in November; they need relief right now. Congress must come back and pass supplemental disaster funding NOW.

Click here to add your name to this urgent petition, and then pass it along to three friends to spread the word.

Together, we'll keep fighting and demanding swift action to take on the fossil fuel industry, fight back against the climate crisis, and protect our communities from all climate catastrophes.

Thanks for all you do.

–Jensine, Mia, Aliya, Emma, and the rest of the team

Sources:

5. "The latest on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene," CNN, September 30, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/197924?t=17&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

6. Ibid.

7. "Lawmakers stunned as disaster funds left out of stopgap bill," E&E News, September 26, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/197925?t=19&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. "Hurricane Helene is here. More disaster aid is not." Politico, September 26, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/197926?t=21&akid=410217%2E40999114%2E3ey4g9

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