Congress is debating a spending bill that includes nearly $100 billion in disaster relief. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
North Carolina stands to lose more than $9 billion in disaster relief if Congress fails to pass a spending bill before the end of the week, the second-largest amount of any state.
The spending plan, known as a continuing resolution, has received bipartisan support after it was introduced Tuesday by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The measure contains nearly $100 billion in disaster relief and an additional $10 billion in banking relief.
As it stands, funding is set to run out on Saturday and could cause a government shutdown. The continuing resolution would fund the government through March 14.
But there’s opposition from the incoming executive branch. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance released a statement Wednesday demanding Congress raise the nation’s debt ceiling, as well as remove certain spending proposals, instead of approving the bipartisan package that had been negotiated.
House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro released a document outlining the value of investments that states could lose if the bill doesn’t pass.
North Carolina could miss out on $9.258 billion that could go towards Hurricane Helene relief, according to the list. Florida, which is also suffering from the effects of Helene and Hurricane Milton, tops the list at $10.83 billion.
The document clarifies that it is not a comprehensive list of all disaster funding programs.
DeLauro’s memo contains a graphic titled “President-Elect Musk’s High-Stakes Heist,” referring to billionaire Elon Musk’s unconventional involvement in backing Trump and influencing government decisions.
North Carolina’s congressional delegation took to social media to weigh in.
“If Congressional leaders intend to leave DC before the holidays without passing disaster recovery, they should be prepared to spend Christmas in the Capitol,” Sen. Thom Tillis posted. “I’ll use every tool available to block a CR that fails Western North Carolina communities in need of long-term certainty.”
Outgoing Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel fired back, seemingly referring to Musk: “We had a bipartisan deal for aid to Western NC Thom. The Real President-Elect and Donald Trump just killed the deal.”
Nickel currently represents the 13th congressional district but opted not to run for reelection due to gerrymandering. He’s the only Democrat so far to announce a senatorial bid for 2026 — Tillis’ seat.
Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross of the second congressional district also lambasted Musk’s involvement.
“Republicans are willing to shut down the government because the richest man in the world said he doesn’t like a bill,” she posted. “The people elected us to look out for them and keep the government running. This isn’t complicated.”
Republican Sen. Ted Budd kept it short: “No CR without disaster relief for Western North Carolina.”
Rep. Greg Murphy, a Republican representing the third district, expressed discontent as well. He highlighted how members of Congress and the White House are elected to their positions, as opposed to Musk.
“Disaster aid and Farm aid is not ‘Pork’. It’s called governing. That’s what we were all ELECTED to do,” he posted.