Dozens of Democrats join push to strong-arm Mike Johnson
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House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 1, 2024. Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images.
More than 60 House Democrats have signed on to a letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to "immediately" call Congress back into session to pass funding addressing Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Why it matters: The Democrats fear the intense storm season will strain emergency agencies' budgets to their breaking point before lawmakers' scheduled return to Washington next month.
- Johnson, however, said during a trip to North Carolina on Wednesday that "it will take some time" for states to calculate the extent of their financial need.
- Pointing to the stopgap spending bill the House passed last month, which included $20 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Johnson argued the federal government has "the resources necessary right now to address the immediate needs."
Driving the news: The letter, led by Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-Fla.), argues the stopgap funds "will not suffice."
- "These provisions fall critically short of what will be necessary to address the scale of destruction and the recovery needs," the lawmakers wrote.
- They also made the case that Congress must pass "proactive measures" to address intensifying storm seasons, which "requires substantial funding that ensures FEMA can maintain a state of readiness."
By the numbers: The letter was signed by 63 House Democrats, including multiple members of leadership and committee ranking members.
- It was not, however, signed by any Republicans – despite some GOP lawmakers making the case that the House should cut its recess short to respond to the storms.
Between the lines: FEMA has said it has enough money "for immediate response and recovery needs."
- But President Biden said in a letter to Congress' leaders last week that the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program "will run out of funding in a matter of weeks and well before the Congress is planning to reconvene."
- The Democratic lawmakers, in their letter to Johnson, wrote that the program "must be replenished as soon as possible to help business owners rebuild their enterprises and communities."
