Congressman Daniel Webster of The Villages and members in the Florida delegation last week urged House and Senate leadership to support a clean supplemental appropriations bill to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) and to help those affected by recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Idalia.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Aug. 30 in the Florida Gulf Coast’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm. Record storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rain impacted homes, businesses, and agricultural lands throughout Florida. While damage estimates are still being calculated for the hardest hit areas, residents of North Central and Northwest Florida will be in rebuild and recover mode for the next several weeks and months. With recent natural disasters across the United States, remaining FEMA funds will not be enough to support recovery efforts for Hurricane Idalia, the wildfires in Hawaii, and others.
The members’ letter asks funding for these natural disasters not be tied to additional funding for Ukraine or other supplemental requests to ensure assistance is swift and sufficient for Americans affected by these incidents.
Read the full letter here.
