Speaker Johnson says Congress has provided funds for Helene response

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday said Congress has already authorized the disaster relief funds needed for the immediate response to Helene, the storm that has ravaged multiple states from Florida up through western North Carolina and Tennessee.

Speaking at the New York Stock Exchange before delivering remarks on his economic agenda, Johnson noted a replenishment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund was included in a three-month stopgap government funding bill that Congress passed, and that President Biden signed into law, last week.

“Congress has previously provided the funds it [FEMA] needs to respond, so we will make sure that those resources are appropriately allocated,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s comments come a day after President Biden said that he may request that Congress return from recess to pass a supplemental relief bill, saying his “expectation” is to ask for more money to fund Helene relief efforts.

“That is something I may have to request, but no decisions are made yet,” Biden said Monday when asked if he would ask Congress to return to pass the bill.

Lawmakers departed Washington last week after passing the stopgap government funding bill and are not scheduled to return until after the November election.

Johnson neither ruled out nor promised authorizing supplemental relief funds for the Helene response when Congress returns in the lame-duck session.

Johnson in his Tuesday remarks said that his home state, Louisiana, is “no stranger to hurricanes.”

“One of this magnitude leaves a real mark. We’ve seen how flood waters can devastate communities. And in Helene’s aftermath, entire streets and whole cities have been ripped apart by a storm surge. In Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and beyond, you’ve got hundreds of roads that remain closed, even right now,” Johnson said.

More than 120 people have died as a result of the storm, and hundreds of thousands of people remain without power. 

“I received updates on the latest recovery and rescue efforts, and we’ll be working with our members, with FEMA, with state and local emergency management, to help address the many needs that are out there. This is going to go on for some time,” Johnson said.

Biden is not the only one floating a return to session to address disaster relief. 

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said Monday that he stands “ready to return to Washington to immediately ensure FEMA has the resources” to address Helene’s impact. And on Tuesday, he proposed a bill to allocate $10 billion to FEMA and $5 billion to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund Helene relief efforts.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) co-sponsored that legislation, also adding in a statement: “I am ready and willing to return to Washington and ensure our communities receive the critical resources necessary for a rapid recovery. Americans are counting on us, and we must take immediate action to address their life-saving needs.”

Despite the devastation, Johnson pointed to the good a disaster like Helene brings out in Americans.

“Amid the uncertainty and confusion that these tragedies bring, one thing is certain: In the aftermath of disasters like this, we really do see the best of America. We see communities come together. We see friends and neighbors help one another. Businesses that are operating find a way to provide food and shelter,” Johnson said. “Recovery is going to take everybody working together, but I’m confident that we will rebuild.”