Rick Scott Calls for Senate Reconvene to Address Hurricane Helene Disaster Aid

Rick Scott's Call to Action

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Monday called for the Senate to "immediately reconvene" once damage assessments are completed so lawmakers can consider an emergency aid package in response to the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. “Floridians are resilient, but the response and recovery from this storm demands the full and immediate support of government at every level to get families and businesses back to normal,” Scott said in a statement.

Urgent Need for Disaster Relief

“While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and SBA damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities.”

Current Situation

The statement from Scott, who previously served as governor of Florida, comes as officials place the current death toll from the storm at more than 120 people, a figure that could rise in the next few days as rescue efforts have been underway in hard-hit states like North Carolina and Florida.

Federal Response

President Biden said on Monday that he expects to request a supplemental funding bill to provide relief, while leaving the door open to asking Congress to return from its October recess early. “That is something I may have to request, but no decisions are made yet,” Biden said on Monday morning when pressed on the matter.

Congressional Actions

Last week, Congress passed a roughly three-month stopgap to avert a government shutdown that excluded $10 billion in additional funding for the FEMA disaster relief fund that was previously included in House Republicans’ initial six-month plan. But it does allow the agency to use the fund’s resources faster for disaster response for the roughly three-month span.