More than 80 organizations call on Congress to return to fund FEMA after Hurricane Helene

More than 80 organizations urged Congress in a Tuesday letter to return from its pre-election recess to pass a supplemental package replenishing funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene and as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall this week.

“Since the storm moved through the region, our communities have come together to clear fallen
trees, supply drinking water and coordinate air drops of supplies to areas that are no longer
accessible by road. However, our community resources can only extend so far,” the organizations wrote.

“We need Congress to take action to ensure the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the resources they need to continue showing up for our communities through the long recovery process,” they added in the letter.

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that FEMA does not have enough funding to make it through hurricane season, but can still meet immediate needs, The Associated Press reported.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting,” Mayorkas said, per AP. “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”

President Biden had said last week that he might request Congress to reconvene during October to pass emergency funding for storm recovery. However, it seems unlikely with lawmakers spread throughout the U.S. campaigning as Election Day nears.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a day after Biden’s comments, said that Congress already authorized disaster funds for immediate response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and referenced the replenishment of FEMA’s disaster relief fund that was included in a three-month stop-gap bill that Biden signed into law last week.

The stopgap bill will fund the government through Dec. 20 and provides up to $20 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund.

“Congress has previously provided the funds it [FEMA] needs to respond, so we will make sure that those resources are appropriately allocated,” Johnson previously said. He has neither ruled out nor promised authorizing supplemental relief funds in response to Helene when Congress returns.

Updated at 4:42 p.m. EDT