Congresswoman Nikema Williams Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Secure Billions in Federal Disaster Assistance Following Hurricane Helene

WASHINGTON DC – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) joined U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA), alongside U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter (GA-01), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Rich McCormick (GA-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Austin Scott (GA-08), Mike Collins (GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rick Allen (GA-12), David Scott (GA-13), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) to urge key Congressional leaders to approve at least $12 billion in federal supplemental disaster appropriations for Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

“On behalf of our farmers, families, and communities beginning the long road to recovery, we urge you to quickly produce a disaster supplemental funding package that includes this vitally important funding for Georgia’s households, businesses, essential infrastructure, agricultural economy, and more,” the lawmakers wrote. 

At its peak, Helene left more than 1 million Georgians without power, demanded 300 boil water advisories across the state, damaged over 200,000 homes, and left thousands of families displaced. Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries were left reeling in Helene’s wake, with approximately one-third of the state’s pecan and cotton crops destroyed, over 100 poultry houses damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million acres of timber damaged or destroyed. All told, Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $7.15 billion in total damages. Most tragically, 225 individuals–including 34 Georgians–lost their lives in Helene’s devastation.

“To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided over $243 million in individual and household assistance to Georgians in need and continues to operate numerous disaster recovery and assistance centers across the state. We applaud the public servants and community leaders who have helped Georgia along its first steps towards recovery, but we know that more needs to be done, especially for our farmers and rural communities,” the lawmakers continued. 

The federal lawmakers from Georgia are urging quick approval of a disaster supplemental package that makes available at least $12,186,094,452 to support Georgia’s ongoing disaster response and recovery, including: 

• At least $7.15 billion in assistance for Georgia’s farmers and ranchers, including $610,845,364 for Georgia’s forestry industry;

• At least $3.035 billion to support Georgia’s recovering families and reconstruction of critical housing infrastructure through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Fund, including at least $2.5 billion for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Housing Recovery, $400 million for CDBG-DR – Economic Revitalization, $100 million for CDBG-DR – Community Infrastructure, and $35 million for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program;

• At least $1.8 billion to support ongoing public and individual disaster recovery needs in Georgia through FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Fund, including at least $772,432,152 for Public Assistance, $497,090,311 for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, $300,000,000 for debris removal and emergency protective measures, $225,324,270 for Individual and Household Assistance, and $32,178,640 to address damages to campuses across the University System of Georgia;

• At least $50 million for emergency repairs to Georgia’s hospital network through the Department of Health and Human Services’(HHS) Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. We also request sufficient funding through this account to address the Intravenous Fluid (IV) shortages and medical supply chain resiliency challenges that threatened Georgia hospital operations in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene;

• At least $507,223 to provide crisis counseling services for Georgians in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene through HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;

• At least $14,514,906 to provide food for nearly 1 million eligible Georgians through USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP);

• At least $501,586 to support Georgia’s nurses and their essential work during this crisis;

• At least $2.7 million to support the retraining of affected workers through the Technical College System of Georgia and the Department of Labor’s Training and Employment Services Program;

• At least $15 million to address damage to critical mobility infrastructure through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program;

• At least $20 million to support additional affordable housing construction and rehabilitation through the Department of the Treasury’s disaster programs; and

• At least $150 million to repair, rebuild, and make resilient community drinking water systems that support Georgia’s homes, farms, businesses, and more through the Environmental Protection Agency’s State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program.

Read the letter here.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams proudly serves Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District on the exclusive Financial Services Committee. She is a champion of voting rights and builds on the Fifth District’s legacy as the cradle of the civil rights movement. Congresswoman Williams is committed to closing the racial wealth gap and ensuring the promise of America for all–regardless of your ZIP code or bank account.

###