Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, is leading a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) calling on him to reconvene the House to allocate further disaster relief aid as Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida.
In the letter, shared with The Hill, Kaptur and other House Democrats wrote that recent disaster funding allocated by Congress falls “critically short” of what will be necessary for fiscal 2025, citing the already-intense hurricane season. Soon after Hurricane Helene killed more than 200 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage, Milton became one of the quickest storms ever to intensify to Category 5.
“The funds previously allocated were a necessary first step, allowing for an initial response to the immediate aftermath of these disasters. However, as recovery efforts continue, it is abundantly clear that these funds will not suffice. Furthermore, the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events are a clarion call for proactive measures,” Kaptur and her colleagues wrote.
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must be equipped not only to respond to current disasters but also to adequately prepare for future events. This requires substantial funding that ensures FEMA can maintain a state of readiness and provide immediate assistance when disasters strike. Additionally, the Small Business Administration disaster relief loan program must be replenished as soon as possible to help business owners rebuild their enterprises and communities.”
Kaptur’s fellow Democratic Reps. Kathy Manning (N.C.), Jared Moskowitz (Fla.), Dina Titus (Nev.) and Melanie Stansbury (N.M.) have joined the letter, which is set to go out on Wednesday. Signatures were still being gathered as of Tuesday afternoon.
Shortly after Helene, President Biden suggested he would call Congress back into session to pass further aid for the storm, a call that has been echoed by Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday that FEMA has the necessary resources to address Milton, but said that after Helene, the agency will not have enough money to cover the remainder of the hurricane season without further appropriations from Congress.
A spokesperson for Johnson’s office referred The Hill to Mayorkas’s comments indicating FEMA has sufficient resources for Milton.
The spokesperson also cited Johnson’s remarks to CNN over the weekend in which he said, “We will be back in session immediately after the election. That’s 30 days from now. The thing about these hurricanes and disasters of this magnitude is it takes a while to calculate the actual damages, and the states are going to need some time to do that.”
Updated at 3:22 p.m. EDT