Rick Scott calls for Senate to reconvene to consider Helene disaster aid

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Monday called for the Senate to “immediately reconvene” once damage assessments are completed so lawmakers can consider an emergency aid package in response to the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.

“Floridians are resilient, but the response and recovery from this storm demands the full and immediate support of government at every level to get families and businesses back to normal,” Scott said in a statement.

“While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and SBA damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities.”

The Hill has reached out to Schumer’s office for comment. 

The statement from Scott, who previously served as governor of Florida, comes as officials place the current death toll from the storm at more than 120 people, a figure that could rise in the next few days as rescue efforts have been underway in hard-hit states like North Carolina and Florida.

President Biden said Monday that he expects to request a supplemental funding bill to provide relief, while leaving the door open to asking Congress to return from its October recess early.

“That is something I may have to request, but no decisions are made yet,” Biden said Monday morning when pressed on the matter.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who previously served for two years as Florida’s director of Emergency Management, said he supports Congress returning to Washington to pass emergency funding.

“I have been sounding the alarm for months that this would be a problem if we just left for recess without properly funding FEMA during the height of hurricane season,” he said. “Congress must show that it can still deliver for the American people in their hour of greatest need.”

Last week, Congress passed a roughly three-month stopgap to avert a government shutdown that excluded $10 billion in additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief fund that was previously included in House Republicans’ initial six-month plan.

But it does allow the agency to use the fund’s resources faster for disaster response for the three-month span.