Biden presses Congress for hurricane aid as Helene death toll rises

UPI

OCT.5, 2024

Hurricane Helene caused extensive damage in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Photo by Madeleine Cook/FEMA/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The death toll from Hurricane Helene has topped 220 with hundreds still missing and about a million without power, prompting President Joe Biden to urge Congress to approve emergency funding.

The death toll is expected to rise as local communities continue recovery efforts, including locating missing persons, obtaining supplies and restoring power to the about 1 million who lack it.

Hurricane Helene disaster relief can't wait until the nation's lawmakers get back to work in November, Biden said in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.

Biden addressed the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Friday.

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The House and Senate are recessed through the Nov. 5 election and aren't scheduled to reconvene until Nov. 12.

"As communities across the Southeast devastated by Hurricane Helene assess the extent of the damage, they are expecting their federal government to stand behind them in their most urgent time of need," Biden said.

"We have a responsibility to ensure that everyone in communities ravaged by natural disasters will have the federal resources they need and deserve to respond to and recover from deadly storms and other natural disasters," he added.

Biden said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense and other federal agencies "have quickly mobilized to support impacted citizens and communities in the six states where major disasters have been declared."

Those six states are Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

"They are performing critical life-saving and life-sustaining missions and will continue to do so withing present funding levels," Biden said.

Biden said FEMA has the necessary resources for implementing its emergency response, but other agencies do not.

He said the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program will run out of money in a "matter of weeks" and before Congress is scheduled to reconvene in November.

"I warned the Congress of this potential shortfall even before Hurricane Helene landed on America's shores," Biden said.




Biden said he asked Congress to allocate more funding for the SBA several times in recent months, including as part of the recent resolution to fund the federal government and prevent a shutdown.

"Now the need is even more urgent," Biden said. "Small businesses and individuals in affected areas depend on disaster loans as a critical lifeline during difficult times."

Biden also said the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund faces a possible shortfall by the end of the year and would have to forgo long-term recovery activities without additional funding resources.

"Congress should provide FEMA additional resources to avoid forcing that kind of unnecessary trade-off," Biden said.

Biden's call for more FEMA funding comes amid criticism that Congress this year allocated $650 million for the federal Shelter and Services Program to help migrant support groups, communities, non-profits and state and local governments provide shelter, food and medical care for migrants.

Those funds don't come from FEMA's budget, but the agency distributes them.

Moody's Analytics estimates insurers and Congress will have to cover $34 billion in damages from the storm.