Led by Senator Reverend Warnock, members of Georgia’s U.S. Congressional delegation are calling on key Congressional leaders to approve billions in federal support to help Georgia families and farmers recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene and other storms

Georgia representatives are showcasing bipartisan support for Governor Brian Kemp’s request of over $12 billion in federal supplemental disaster appropriations for Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Latest effort follows Senator Reverend Warnock’s floor remarks calling for immediate approval of the White House’s disaster funding request after kickstarting the federal response to Helene’s devastation

Senator Reverend Warnock has hosted community resource clinics across the state, helping connect 200 Georgians in rural communities to in-person federal resources and representatives

Senator Reverend Warnock and lawmakers: “On behalf of our farmers, families, and communities beginning the long road to recovery, we urge you to quickly produce a disaster supplemental funding package that includes this vitally important funding for Georgia’s households, businesses, essential infrastructure, agricultural economy, and more”

Senator Reverend Warnock and lawmakers: “All told, Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $7.15 billion in total damages. Most tragically, 225 individuals—including 34 Georgians—lost their lives in Helene’s devastation”

Senator Reverend Warnock in recent floor remarks: “If we expect hardworking Georgians to do their job in the midst of a disaster, they should expect us to do ours”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA), alongside U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Rich McCormick (R-GA-06), Lucy McBath (D-GA-07), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Mike Collins (R-GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11), Rick Allen (R-GA-12), David Scott (D-GA-13), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) urged key Congressional leaders to approve at least $12 billion in federal supplemental disaster appropriations for Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The latest effort to help Georgians recovering from Hurricane Helene follows Governor Brian Kemp’s November 19 letter to Congressional leaders requesting over $12 billion in federal support. 

“On behalf of our farmers, families, and communities beginning the long road to recovery, we urge you to quickly produce a disaster supplemental funding package that includes this vitally important funding for Georgia’s households, businesses, essential infrastructure, agricultural economy, and more,” the lawmakers wrote. 

At its peak, Helene left more than 1 million Georgians without power, demanded 300 boil water advisories across the state, damaged over 200,000 homes, and left thousands of families displaced. Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries were left reeling in Helene’s wake, with approximately one-third of the state’s pecan and cotton crops destroyed, over 100 poultry houses damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million acres of timber damaged or destroyed. All told, Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $7.15 billion in total damages. Most tragically, 225 individuals–including 34 Georgians–lost their lives in Helene’s devastation.

“To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided over $243 million in individual and household assistance to Georgians in need and continues to operate numerous disaster recovery and assistance centers across the state. We applaud the public servants and community leaders who have helped Georgia along its first steps towards recovery, but we know that more needs to be done, especially for our farmers and rural communities,” the lawmakers continued. 

The federal lawmakers from Georgia are urging quick approval of a disaster supplemental package that makes available at least $12,186,094,452 to support Georgia’s ongoing disaster response and recovery, including: 

• At least $7.15 billion in assistance for Georgia’s farmers and ranchers, including $610,845,364 for Georgia’s forestry industry;

• At least $3.035 billion to support Georgia’s recovering families and reconstruction of critical housing infrastructure through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Fund, including at least $2.5 billion for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Housing Recovery, $400 million for CDBG-DR – Economic Revitalization, $100 million for CDBG-DR – Community Infrastructure, and $35 million for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program;

• At least $1.8 billion to support ongoing public and individual disaster recovery needs in Georgia through FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Fund, including at least $772,432,152 for Public Assistance, $497,090,311 for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, $300,000,000 for debris removal and emergency protective measures, $225,324,270 for Individual and Household Assistance, and $32,178,640 to address damages to campuses across the University System of Georgia;

• At least $50 million for emergency repairs to Georgia’s hospital network through the Department of Health and Human Services’(HHS) Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. We also request sufficient funding through this account to address the Intravenous Fluid (IV) shortages and medical supply chain resiliency challenges that threatened Georgia hospital operations in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene;

• At least $507,223 to provide crisis counseling services for Georgians in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene through HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;

• At least $14,514,906 to provide food for nearly 1 million eligible Georgians through USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP);

• At least $501,586 to support Georgia’s nurses and their essential work during this crisis;

• At least $2.7 million to support the retraining of affected workers through the Technical College System of Georgia and the Department of Labor’s Training and Employment Services Program;

• At least $15 million to address damage to critical mobility infrastructure through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program;

• At least $20 million to support additional affordable housing construction and rehabilitation through the Department of the Treasury’s disaster programs; and

• At least $150 million to repair, rebuild, and make resilient community drinking water systems that support Georgia’s homes, farms, businesses, and more through the Environmental Protection Agency’s State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE and text can be read below:

“Dear Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, Chairman Cole, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

“We write in full support of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s November 19, 2024 request for at least $12,186,094,452 in federal supplemental disaster appropriations for Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. On behalf of our farmers, families, and communities beginning the long road to recovery, we urge you to quickly produce a disaster supplemental funding package that includes this vitally important funding for Georgia’s households, businesses, essential infrastructure, agricultural economy, and more.

“Hurricane Helene struck Florida’s coast as a Category 4 storm on September 27, 2024 before devastating communities across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. At its peak, Helene left more than 1 million Georgians without power, demanded 300 boil water advisories across the state, damaged over 200,000 homes, and left thousands of families displaced. Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries were left reeling in Helene’s wake, with approximately one-third of the state’s pecan and cotton crops destroyed, over 100 poultry houses damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million acres of timber damaged or destroyed. All told, Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $7.15 billion in total damages. Most tragically, 225 individuals – including 34 Georgians – lost their lives in Helene’s devastation.

“To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided over $243 million in individual and household assistance to Georgians in need and continues to operate numerous disaster recovery and assistance centers across the state. We applaud the public servants and community leaders who have helped Georgia along its first steps toward recovery, but we know that more needs to be done, especially for our farmers and rural communities. Therefore, we urge you to work quickly to produce a disaster supplemental package that makes available at least $12,186,094,452 across the following accounts to support Georgia’s ongoing disaster response and recovery:

• At least $7.15 billion in assistance for Georgia’s farmers and ranchers, including $610,845,364 for Georgia’s forestry industry;

• At least $3.035 billion to support Georgia’s recovering families and reconstruction of critical housing infrastructure through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Fund, including at least $2.5 billion for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Housing Recovery, $400 million for CDBG-DR – Economic Revitalization, $100 million for CDBG-DR – Community Infrastructure, and $35 million for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program;

• At least $1.8 billion to support ongoing public and individual disaster recovery needs in Georgia through FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Fund, including at least $772,432,152 for Public Assistance, $497,090,311 for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, $300,000,000 for debris removal and emergency protective measures, $225,324,270 for Individual and Household Assistance, and $32,178,640 to address damages to campuses across the University System of Georgia;

• At least $50 million for emergency repairs to Georgia’s hospital network through the Department of Health and Human Services’(HHS) Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. We also request sufficient funding through this account to address the Intravenous Fluid (IV) shortages and medical supply chain resiliency challenges that threatened Georgia hospital operations in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene;

• At least $507,223 to provide crisis counseling services for Georgians in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene through HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;

• At least $14,514,906 to provide food for nearly 1 million eligible Georgians through USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP);

• At least $501,586 to support Georgia’s nurses and their essential work during this crisis;

• At least $2.7 million to support the retraining of affected workers through the Technical College System of Georgia and the Department of Labor’s Training and Employment Services Program;

• At least $15 million to address damage to critical mobility infrastructure through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program;

• At least $20 million to support additional affordable housing construction and rehabilitation through the Department of the Treasury’s disaster programs; and

• At least $150 million to repair, rebuild, and make resilient community drinking water systems that support Georgia’s homes, farms, businesses, and more through the Environmental Protection Agency’s State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program.

“Thank you for your continued support for a bipartisan disaster supplemental appropriations package. This funding will be a lifeline and an answered prayer for our constituents and fulfill our promise that they will not be alone on their road to recovery. We urge your immediate action to get this done.”

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