When requested if he would reconvene the Home to vote on extra FEMA assist for Hurricane Helene throughout the southeast U.S. and Hurricane Milton victims in Florida, Speaker Mike Johnson declined—for the second time this week.
“To be clear: Congress will act again upon its return in November to address funding needs and ensure those impacted receive the necessary resources,” Athina Lawson, a spokesman for Johnson, mentioned in a press release to POLITICO on Thursday.
Speak about hypocrisy.
Johnson visited Helene catastrophe websites in North Carolina, and had the audacity to assault FEMA, all whereas refusing to deliver the Home again collectively for a vote for extra assist. On Thursday, he posted on X: “Congress is fully prepared to provide additional disaster relief funding as soon as states submit their damage assessments. Our prayers and support are with every American community across the broad swath of these historic storms.”
U.S. army deliveries of emergency provides in Western North Carolina’s “unreachable areas” are nonetheless being dropped by air to remoted residents because of unusable roads, lack of water provide, and energy outages. FEMA has spent $9 billion already, practically half of its allotted $20 billion finances in simply eight days.
Greater than 60 Home Democrats wrote a letter urging Johnson to rethink reconvening Congress:
Latest laws has supplied preliminary aid funds, but these provisions fall critically brief of what is going to be vital to deal with the dimensions of destruction and the restoration wants for Fiscal Yr 2025. We, subsequently, urge you to right away reconvene the US Home of Representatives in order that it may well move strong catastrophe aid funding. The funds beforehand allotted had been a vital first step, permitting for an preliminary response to the rapid aftermath of those disasters. Nonetheless, as restoration efforts proceed, it’s abundantly clear that these funds is not going to suffice.
This comes after President Joe Biden despatched a letter final Friday formally asking Congress for extra funding and to reconvene within the wake of the pure catastrophe.
We all know the GOP’s historical past in politicizing pure disasters; a repeat offender is former President Donald Trump. Trump and different Republicans have continued to unfold disinformation surrounding catastrophe assist.
Apparently, Hurricanes Helene and Milton weren’t pressing sufficient to get the speaker to rally Congress again to the Capitol earlier than Election Day. In the meantime, persons are dealing with horrible devastation.
Right here’s hoping the Mai Tais are scrumptious as a result of many Republican Home members will likely be on trip for years to return as voters of each purple and blue-leaning states hopefully see via these disgusting political video games.
