Leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly traveled to Washington, DC, on Tuesday to meet with Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd amid ongoing calls for Congress to provide immediate assistance to North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene’s devastation.  

North Carolina’s top officials, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and Rules Chairman Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, and House of Representatives Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, and Speaker-elect Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, visited the nation’s capital, joined by other state officials representing western North Carolina, including Rep. Dudley Greene, R-Avery, and Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell.

The state leaders also planned to hold a series of meetings with federal officials and lawmakers to underscore the necessity for increased support for disaster recovery, expedited FEMA assistance, and long-term investments in resiliency.

“We are fully committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that Congress passes disaster relief as quickly as possible so Western North Carolina can begin the long-term recovery process,” said Senators Tillis and Budd. “North Carolina’s Congressional and NCGA leaders have worked closely together since the beginning, and we are all on the same page on the need to pass legislation at the state and federal levels to cut red tape and deliver much-needed assistance to Western North Carolina.”

The delegation urged Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take swift and decisive action to aid communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.

In a press release, Tillis highlighted several initiatives that leaders have been advocating for since October to support western North Carolina. Letters of urgency describing the need for action have been sent to Senate Appropriations leaders, the White House, and the Office of Management and Budget.

Though Tillis attempted to pass legislation to replenish the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Program on the Senate floor, the effort was ultimately blocked. The RELIEF Act was then introduced on Nov. 18, but no further action has been taken since.

In a recent op-ed in the Carolina Journal, Tillis and Budd explained that by October 15, the damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton had quickly depleted all remaining funding for the Disaster Loan Program, attributing it to policy changes under the Biden administration.

“Replenishing the SBA loan program and helping people rebuild their lives without delay have been among our top priorities,” the senators wrote. “Our bipartisan legislation, the RELIEF Act, would provide an immediate infusion of funding to restart the SBA’s lending lifeline. It also contains strong oversight provisions that require SBA answers for the operational failures that occurred to allow the account to run so dangerously low.”

They noted that during the lame-duck session, as Democrats in Washington prepare for a shift in Senate and White House control, other priorities, such as confirming liberal judges, have taken the forefront.

The North Carolina General Assembly has passed three major bills related to Helene response and recovery that totals over $1 billion. The House Select Committee on Helene Recovery is meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss fruther assistance for western North Carolina.