Johnson: Congress coming back early for hurricane relief would be ‘premature’
Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Congress will “do whatever is necessary to cover the needs of the people” after Hurricane Helene and Milton, but that it would be “premature” to come back to Washington now before assessing how much disaster relief is needed.
“What happens after every storm is that the states have to assess and calculate the actual needs, and then they submit to Congress that request,” Johnson said during an interview with host Margaret Brennan on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “As soon as that is done, Congress will meet and in bipartisan fashion, we will address those needs. We'll provide the additional resources.”
“But it would be premature to call everyone back now, because these storms are so large in their scope and magnitude, it's going to take a little bit of time to make those calculations,” the Louisiana Republican added.
Johnson said that money has already been allocated to storm victims to meet their immediate needs and that as of this morning, two percent of those funds had been distributed. But he said as for Congress passing additional resources to rebuild and refund the area, that will first require more calculations. He added that Congress approved $20 billion to FEMA the day before Helene hit.
Congress is currently not scheduled to be back in session until after the election.
Later on the same program, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that Congress will need to come back to fund FEMA but currently there is enough money for individuals impacted by the hurricanes. But he encouraged Congress to return, especially since more storms could be on the way.
"FEMA has the money to address the immediate needs of individuals impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but we need Congress to act swiftly to fund FEMA and specifically its Disaster Relief Fund, because hurricane season is not over,” Mayorkas said.
Johnson also said the Biden administration needs to act quicker in getting the current funds to hurricane victims.
"People are hurting and I've been on the ground in the most affected disaster areas, Florida, North Carolina, they really need the help," Johnson said.
Mayorkas pushed back on claims of delays, saying the Biden administration has already distributed over $470 million in relief to hurricane victims even as it tries to determine who needs help.
“Assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton, which is of historic strength, and it also led to approximately 27 different tornadoes, so we don't know the impact,” Mayorkas said. “We don't know what's coming tomorrow. Whether it's another hurricane, a tornado, a fire, an earthquake."
He added, “We have to be ready, and it is not good government to be dependent on a day-to-day existence as opposed to appropriate planning.”
Topics
-
Trump backs Congress returning from recess to pass hurricane relief
Politics - The Hill - October 21 -
New calls for Congress to return from recess for hurricane relief funding
Top stories - CBS News - October 17 -
Bipartisan lawmakers ask Congress to meet early for hurricane aid
Top stories - CBS News - October 17 -
Biden announces $600 million for Florida hurricane relief
Top stories - CBS News - October 13 -
FBI warning about scams surrounding hurricane relief
Top stories - CBS News - October 14 -
Hurricane misinformation hinders relief efforts: DHS head
Politics - The Hill - October 14 -
Relief, NC: Hurricane Helene | Sunday on 60 Minutes
Top stories - CBS News - October 17 -
United Way and Paramount to air benefit for hurricane relief
Entertainment - ABC News - Yesterday -
United Way and Paramount to Air Hurricane Relief Benefit
Business - Inc. - Yesterday -
Can Boeing come back?
Business - Financial Times - 2 days ago -
A Unified Republican Congress Would Give Trump Broad Power for His Agenda
Top stories - The New York Times - Yesterday -
Biden Visits Florida After Hurricane Milton and Calls for Bipartisan Relief Effort
Top stories - The New York Times - October 14 -
Arrest made after FEMA crews threatened amid hurricane relief efforts
Top stories - CBS News - October 14 -
Arrest made in reported threats against FEMA over hurricane relief efforts
Top stories - CBS News - October 15 -
For Entrepreneurs Hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Tax Relief Is Here
Business - Inc. - October 15 -
Trump uses North Carolina visit to reiterate hurricane relief conspiracies
World - The Guardian - October 21 -
Hurricane Helene and Milton relief benefit airing on CBS, CMT
Top stories - CBS News - Yesterday -
Backstreet Boys, Blake Shelton among artists headlining hurricane relief concert
Politics - The Hill - 22 hours ago -
'Scandal' cast to reunite for script reading for hurricane relief in North Carolina
Entertainment - ABC News - 2 hours ago -
Rep. Maxwell Frost says Congress should return "as soon as possible" to replenish relief funds
Top stories - CBS News - October 13 -
Johnson believes 'massive reform' is coming to health care if Trump wins election
Top stories - NBC News - 2 days ago -
Democrats push to condemn GOP-backed hurricane disinformation
Politics - The Hill - 39 minutes ago -
How back-to-back hurricanes could impact insurance rates across the U.S.
Top stories - CBS News - October 15 -
Majorities back early voting, voter verification: Gallup
Politics - The Hill - October 24 -
North Carolina opens up early voting in shadow of Hurricane Helene
Politics - The Hill - October 17 -
Hurricane Helene hasn't stopped western North Carolinians from voting early
Top stories - CBS News - 3 days ago -
Georgia Turned Against the West, and It’s Not Coming Back
Top stories - The New York Times - October 23 -
Trump still falsely claiming that FEMA is diverting funds from hurricane relief to help migrants
Top stories - CBS News - October 22 -
8 million student loan borrowers would qualify for relief under Biden 'hardship' rules
Politics - The Hill - October 25 -
Early 2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at relief pitcher shows Ryan Walker, Luke Weaver gaining value
Sports - CBS Sports - 4 days ago -
Carolina Hurricanes storm back, beat Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime
Sports - ABC News - October 23 -
Panthers send WR Diontae Johnson, 6th-round pick to Ravens, get 5th-rounder in return
Sports - ABC News - 2 days ago -
Bryan Cranston Is Coming Back As Walter White In A Wholesome And Unexpected Way
Tech - GameSpot - October 18 -
Your parents’ Medicare decisions could come back to haunt you
Business - MarketWatch - October 19 -
Cuba fights to come back from a nationwide blackout, then a storm that killed 7
World - ABC News - October 22 -
Tim Walz says "people are hungry to come back together" as campaign closes
Top stories - CBS News - 2 days ago -
Nuclear power is coming back — and that could be a win for older workers
Business - MarketWatch - Yesterday
More from Politico
-
Dems say they will certify a Trump victory — even the ones who think the 14th Amendment disqualifies him
Politics - Politico - 18 hours ago -
Members of Congress have taken hundreds of AIPAC-funded trips to Israel in the past decade
Politics - Politico - 2 days ago -
McConnell defends past Trump comments: ‘We are all on the same team now’
Politics - Politico - October 17 -
Maine’s Jared Golden is ready to make things awkward for his fellow Democrats
Politics - Politico - October 14 -
‘A temper tantrum from a deranged fanatic’
Politics - Politico - October 6
Latest in Politics
-
Trump and Vance make anti-transgender attacks central to their campaign’s closing argument
Politics - NBC News - 14 minutes ago -
How the ballot-counting rules differ across the key battleground states
Politics - NBC News - 19 minutes ago -
Trump attacks Liz Cheney, says she wouldn't be a 'war hawk' if 'guns are trained on her face'
Politics - NBC News - 20 minutes ago -
The real cannabis policy power lies beyond the Oval Office
Politics - The Hill - 38 minutes ago -
Democrats push to condemn GOP-backed hurricane disinformation
Politics - The Hill - 39 minutes ago