Reps. Kat Cammack and Neal Dunn, flanking House Speaker Mike Johnson, speak to the media during a tour of hurricane-devastated Steinhatchee on Oct. 3, 2024. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
STEINHATCHEE – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that a congressional emergency spending decision in response to Hurricane Helene “will probably correspond when Congress is expected to return to session.”
Congress will be on recess for more than a month, and is set to return to session on Nov. 12. Johnson seemed to rule out a return before then, although President Joe Biden indicated this week that he may ask Congress to convene before the break’s scheduled end.
“Right before we left on Wednesday, a week ago, Congress appropriated $20 billion to FEMA to cover the immediate aftermath of the storm,” Johnson said in Steinhatchee Thursday. “Of course, we knew it was headed into the coast at that time, so FEMA has the funding that needs to respond immediately. We’re glad to see them on the ground here.”
The coastline in Steinhatchee remains covered in debris on Oct. 3, 2024, following Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Johnson said damage assessments must be complete before Congress can update the disaster budget.
“It will take some time to tabulate this storm — it’s one of the biggest in our history,” Johnson said. “So, a lot of that work’s being done immediately, and I think the timing of that will probably correspond when Congress is expected to return to session right after the election, and so we’ll be on that.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacks enough funding to last through hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.
Johnson appeared with Florida U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Neal Dunn at Roy’s Restaurant, which was ravaged by Helene.
The speaker of the House said that funding further disaster response will be bipartisan.
“There’ll be an appropriate amount requested to Congress, and we’ll have to dig deep and find a way to do that,” he said.
Johnson assured that Congress “will do what’s necessary to make sure that Americans are taken care of.”
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The region the representatives visited has been hit by three hurricanes in 13 months, leaving those living there rebuilding and recuperating more than once.
Helene was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall and maintained hurricane-speed winds for six hours after landfall, National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said the morning after.
The storm wrought havoc on Florida’s Big Bend before moving through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and other states, flattening trees and houses, causing catastrophic flooding, and killing more than 200 people.
“I’m from Louisiana, so we know disasters,” Johnson said. “We know hurricanes. I lived through Hugo and Andrew and Katrina and a number of disasters almost of this magnitude. But this is a big one. I mean, these have, we have whole communities that are washed away, as you know. I mean homes just and businesses down to the foundation.”
He said the representatives are consulting with farmers on recovering from the damage sustained to crops and agricultural infrastructure.
“Keep the faith,” Johnson said to anyone concerned about the federal government not supporting a response effort.
Strike
Tuesday, union workers at the nation’s largest ports, including three in Florida, went on strike for higher pay and job security.
Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear his fear that the strike could hinder Helene recovery efforts.
In Steinhatchee, Johnson said he hopes the strike is resolved “quickly,” and that he has encouraged the White House to do everything it can to urge a resolution.
“We really hope they’ll pull together the parties will go to the table in good faith and get that done,” Johnson said. “The American people are counting on it.”
In the meantime, DeSantis has deployed the Florida National Guard and State Guad to ports.
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