(The Center Square) – Disaster relief funding for Hurricane Helene in North Carolina of $21.5 billion has been declined 12 times by the overwhelming majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate, says a congressman from the mountains of North Carolina.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., said the relief funding “is critical to the recovery of communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. They also voted against keeping key agencies fully operational to assist with ongoing recovery efforts.”
Recovery from Hurricane Helene on Saturday begins a 57th week.
The storm killed 108 in North Carolina, 237 in the South, and caused estimated damage between $60 billion and $80 billion in the state. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024.
It was expected to come north to the Appalachian Mountains; however, the rainfall total from its dissipation there exceeded all forecasts. Some places got more than 30 inches, most were at 24 inches or more. Due to terrain, water often rushed before it pooled and flooded – very unlike the flooding from hurricanes that happens in the coastal plains.
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 for the first time since a 35-day stoppage bridging 2018 and 2019. At 24 days on Friday, this shutdown has already surpassed the 1995-96 stoppage of 21 days for No. 2 in terms of length.
The Republican majority U.S. House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution in September. The Republican majority Senate is stalled in filibuster led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., unable to get seven votes to reach the threshold of 60 needed to pass the legislation.
On Wednesday, in the latest vote, the legislation failed 54-46 despite yea votes from Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Chatherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.
“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I helped advance all 12 budget bills to fund the government and keep it open,” Edwards said. “As we prepared to send those bills to the Senate for consideration, I voted to pass a continuing resolution using Biden-era funding levels to keep the government open.
“Thanks to Democrats’ refusal to support that CR, we’re in week three of a government shutdown.”
Edwards said the proposal of Democrats would add $1.5 trillion in spending. That includes $200 billion in benefits for people illegally in America. It also would take away $50 billion from rural hospitals.
“Instead of holding the government hostage to push their partisan agenda,” Edwards said, “Democrats should join Republicans in passing a responsible, bipartisan plan that puts the American people first.”
North Carolina on Friday did get the final $4 million of a $10 million Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The award was made in 2024.
Respective Workforce Development Boards will administer the funds in the Foothills (Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford counties); High Country (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey counties); Mountain Area (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Transylvania counties); Southwestern (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain counties); and Western Piedmont (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba counties).
