Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Congress will “do whatever is necessary to cover the needs of the people” after Hurricane Helene and Milton, but that it would be “premature” to come back to Washington now before assessing how much disaster relief is needed.
But he said as for Congress passing additional resources to rebuild and refund the area, that will first require more calculations.
He added that Congress approved $20 billion to FEMA the day before Helene hit.
Johnson also said the Biden administration needs to act quicker in getting the current funds to hurricane victims.
“Assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton, which is of historic strength, and it also led to approximately 27 different tornadoes, so we don’t know the impact,” Mayorkas said.
Following Hurricane Helene and Milton, Speaker Mike Johnson declared on Sunday that Congress will “do whatever is necessary to cover the needs of the people.” However, he said it would be “premature” to return to Washington at this time without first determining the exact amount of disaster relief that is required.
In an interview with host Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Johnson stated, “What happens after every storm is that the states have to assess and calculate the actual needs, and then they submit that request to Congress.”. “After that is finished, Congress will convene, and we will work across party lines to address those needs. We’ll supply the extra materials. “.
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The Louisiana Republican went on, “But it would be premature to call everyone back at this point because these storms are so large in scope and magnitude, it will take some time to make those calculations.”.
According to Johnson, two percent of the funds that have already been set aside for storm victims to meet their immediate needs have been disbursed as of this morning. However, he stated that further calculations will be needed before Congress approves additional funding for the area’s reconstruction and reimbursement. And the day before Hurricane Helene made landfall, he said, Congress gave FEMA $20 billion.
The next scheduled meeting of Congress is not expected to take place until after the election.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stated later on the same program that although FEMA currently has enough funding for affected individuals, Congress will need to revisit the matter in order to continue funding the agency. However, he urged Congress to come back, particularly given the possibility of more storms.
“FEMA has the resources to meet the immediate needs of those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but hurricane season is not over, so Congress must move quickly to fund FEMA, particularly its Disaster Relief Fund,” Mayorkas stated.
Johnson added that the Biden administration needs to move more quickly to distribute the available funds to hurricane victims.
According to Johnson, “I’ve been on the ground in the most affected disaster areas, Florida and North Carolina, and people are hurting. They really need the help.”.
Denying allegations of delays, Mayorkas asserted that the Biden administration has already given more than $470 million in relief to hurricane victims while still trying to identify those in need.
“We’re still assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton, which was of historic strength and caused about 27 different tornadoes, so we’re not sure exactly how much it affected us,” Mayorkas stated. “We have no idea what tomorrow will bring. It could be an earthquake, fire, hurricane, or tornado. “.
It is not good governance to rely on a day-to-day existence rather than proper planning, he continued, saying that we must be prepared. “.
