Two Republican senators are pushing for relief for constituents suffering from the devastating hurricane and are calling on Congress to pass disaster aid before they leave town for the Christmas holidays.

North Carolina Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd were devastated by Hurricanes Helen and Milton before lawmakers were scheduled to leave town over the weekend for Christmas break. We are calling on Congressional leadership to pass a bill to provide disaster assistance to local communities. If disaster relief is not included in a larger spending package or voted on as a standalone bill, efforts to pass interim funding will be implemented, according to a statement from both senators to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday. He is also threatening to put it on hold. (Related article: “America’s last”: Republican senator slams Biden for sending $1 billion to Africa as hurricane-hit areas struggle)

“The devastation Hurricane Helen inflicted on Western North Carolina is staggering and incomprehensible,” Tillis, who does not support the stopgap funding bill in its current form, said in a statement to DCNF. “Entire communities have been disrupted, with businesses, homes and critical infrastructure completely destroyed. Helen’s victims and communities whose infrastructure was literally swept away are in desperate need of assistance and the long-term recovery process will continue.” We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

“Recovery needs to start now, which is why I agree with President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance that Congress needs to include disaster relief in a continuing resolution or pass it immediately as a standalone bill.”

Tillis also pledged to block any CR if disaster relief is not included in a stopgap funding package or if aid to hurricane victims is not passed as a standalone bill. states If lawmakers try to leave town before disaster relief passes, they should “be prepared to spend Christmas in the Capitol,” they said in a post on X Wednesday night.

If Congressional leaders plan to leave Washington, D.C., before the holidays without passing disaster recovery, they should be prepared to spend Christmas in the Capitol. I will use every tool available to stop CR from failing Western North Carolina communities that need long-term certainty.

— Sen. Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) December 18, 2024

Budd also told the DCNF that he does not support any spending package that does not include disaster relief and will work to prevent its passage.

“Congress should not leave Washington until we pass disaster relief for Western North Carolina,” Budd told DCNF in a statement. “Since the onset of Hurricane Helen, I have made it clear that my top priority is to deliver needed assistance to Americans affected by this disaster every day. I have long opposed the continuing resolution because it avoids tough decisions and represents business as usual in Washington.”

“But as others have chosen to use disaster relief for their own cherished projects, I will stand for any package that doesn’t help Americans get out of the cold and rebuild their homes and lives.” We will not cast a vote or agree to a time agreement,” Budd said. Added.

Without disaster relief in Western North Carolina, there would be no CR.

— Sen. Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) December 18, 2024

Republican South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace make a call He supports a government shutdown and advocates for Congress to wait and pass a stopgap funding bill after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.He said he’s prepared for Hurricanes Helen and Milton before Congress leaves town for Christmas break. He told DCNF that he supports passing the disaster relief bill for victims. . (Related article: ‘Dumpster fire’: Conservative MPs slam ‘fundamentally unserious’ spending bill negotiated by House of Commons leadership)

“It is critical that we deliver disaster relief to the communities devastated by Hurricanes Helen and Milton,” Mace told DCNF in a statement. “We should do this in the most appropriate way as a standalone measure. We must pass a disaster relief package that provides relief to these communities in a fiscally responsible manner, including offsets, and I support prorogating the session.”

Stop-gap funding in case of death on arrival invoice Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced on Tuesday night – ultimately announced by President Trump tanked A series of Truth Social posts on Wednesday included more than $100 billion in disaster relief, along with a series of unrelated Democratic policy specials.

Although President Trump has called on lawmakers to repeal the current version of the CR, passing the disaster relief bill is a priority for the incoming Trump administration. According to in response to statements issued by Trump and Vance on Wednesday.

“Republicans want to help farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country for success in 2025,” Trump and Vance said in a statement published in X on Wednesday. “The only way to do that is through a temporary funding bill with no aid from Democrats, combined with raising the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.”

House leadership has yet to announce a new CR with federal funding set to expire Friday night.

The vice president-elect specifically visited communities in western North Carolina with Mr. Tillis and Mr. Budd to survey the debris caused by Hurricane Helen earlier this year.

“We will never forget you [Western North Carolina]And we will work hard in the months and years ahead to help you rebuild.” I wrote At X on December 6th after his visit.

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