GOP lawmaker in hurricane-ravaged Georgia demands emergency session of Congress
Fox News
October 18, 2024
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other leaders on Friday, weeks after two hurricanes battered parts of the Southeastern United States.
"The rain, wind, and flood damages from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton have killed over 200 Americans, and caused hundreds of billions of dollars of damages, including to our critical infrastructure such as the electrical grid, major roadways, bridges, and more," Carter wrote.
"Together, these storms have been the deadliest and most destructive storms to hit the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina..."
It comes days after the Small Business Administration (SBA) warned it had run out of funding for disaster relief loans and as Biden administration officials warned FEMA does not have sufficient cash levels to last through the hurricane season...
Helene, which hit roughly three weeks ago, left a trail of devastation and dozens dead after ripping through parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and other states. The next week, Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s Gulf Coast with its own deadly force.
Those storms and Hurricane Debby have led to potentially billions of dollars in damage to both public and private property, likely leaving hundreds of Americans who survived the storm homeless.
The severity of the situation was compounded earlier this week when the SBA said in a press release "that it has exhausted funds for its disaster loan program after warnings that funding would soon run out following increased demand from Hurricane Helene..."
Carter wrote in his letter, "We appreciate congressional leadership’s commitment to replenishing funds for these critical disaster relief programs, but the current pause on new SBA loan offers to those attempting to rebuild their businesses and homes is already delaying recovery efforts."
"Considering the immediate and pressing need for assistance for millions of Americans, we ask that you call Congress back into session as soon as possible to replenish SBA’s disaster loan program and ensure there is funding certainty for our other disaster programs, including FEMA," the congressman wrote.
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