Senators call for disaster aid to be a priority after destruction in southeastern U.S.

A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for disaster aid to be one of the first issues addressed when Congress gets back from Thanksgiving break, saying the aid budget is running out after two hurricanes struck the southeastern U.S.

In a letter to Senate leadership Tuesday led by Republican Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Georgia Democrats; and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats of Virginia, called for a “robust supplemental appropriations bill.”

“Private businesses, non-profits, and regular citizens across the Southeast immediately got to work saving their neighbors and rebuilding their communities. Local, state, and federal partners also stepped up and answered the call to help,” the letter said. “Now, it is Congress’s turn to respond decisively by providing impacted areas and states with the resources they need to fully recover.”

The Biden administration requested nearly $100 billion for disaster relief from Congress earlier this month to help cover the cost of the two hurricanes. The largest portion of the money, roughly $40 billion, would be set aside for FEMA’s disaster relief fund. It would help with debris removal, public infrastructure repair and financial assistance.

The rest of the money would be for farmers who have lost crops or livestock and for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, Mr. Biden said he met with families, businesses and officials who were affected by the hurricanes.

“Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities,” he said.

The senators wrote that the southeastern portion of the U.S. was hit horribly by the storms.

“Hurricane Helene is estimated to have caused $250 billion in damages, and Hurricane Milton is expected to have caused $50 billion in damages,” they wrote. “Tragically, approximately 261 people lost their lives as a result of both hurricanes. Major urban centers, such as Asheville, North Carolina, only received steady access to potable drinking water on November 18th, and major thoroughfares of commerce like Interstate 40 remain impassible and have sustained significant damage.”

They added, “Our constituents need immediate help as they work to rebuild their homes and communities. We have delayed too long already. We therefore request that Congress act immediately to provide for those in need. We stand ready to pass a supplemental disaster relief bill the first week of December.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency head Deanne Criswell warned senators during a hearing last week that the back-to-back hurricanes have depleted the agency’s funds.

She said FEMA’s disaster relief fund is down to less than $5 billion after shelling out nearly $8 billion in assistance for the two hurricanes. She said the agency has more than 100 disasters that it is still funding for recovery.

“These needs have rapidly exhausted our available funds, and without a supplemental, our ability to respond to new disasters could be jeopardized,” Ms. Criswell said. “It is very clear that the stakes are high as our communities face more frequent and devastating disasters, they increasingly rely on FEMA and our federal partners.”

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.