Warner, Kaine joins bipartisan push for congressional disaster relief vote

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is pushing congressional leadership for a vote on disaster relief to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-Va., joined Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, both R-N.C., and Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both D-Ga., in sending a letter urging both chambers of Congress to bring a robust supplemental appropriations bill to the floor during the first week of December.

From the letter:

“As Senators representing states that were devastated by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, we urge you to swiftly respond to the Biden Administration’s supplemental funding request. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) request for $98 billion in supplemental disaster appropriations is an important first step toward securing the assistance our communities need,” they wrote.  “We are encouraged that the Senate Committee on Appropriations held a hearing with key federal agencies on November 20th to review disaster funding needs. The message was clear: disaster relief cannot wait any longer. We urge you to bring a robust supplemental appropriations bill to the floor the first week of December.

“Across the Southeastern United States, Hurricane Helene is estimated to have caused $250 billion in damages, and Hurricane Milton is expected to have caused $50 billion in damages. Tragically, approximately 261 people lost their lives as a result of both hurricanes. … Our constituents need immediate help as they work to rebuild their homes and communities. We have delayed too long already. We therefore request that Congress act immediately to provide for those in need. We stand ready to pass a supplemental disaster relief bill the first week of December.”