U.S. Home of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds a press convention at Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2024.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday didn’t decide to calling Congress again into session earlier than the election after President Joe Biden pressed congressional leaders about potential funding shortfalls within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
In an interview on “Fox Information Sunday,” Johnson was requested about Biden’s letter to congressional leaders on Friday requesting more cash for federal catastrophe restoration efforts and after Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the division would not have the funds for to get by way of the remainder of hurricane season.
In his letter, the president urged Congress to revive funding to the Small Enterprise Administration’s catastrophe mortgage program, which was dealing with potential funding shortfalls even earlier than Hurricane Helene devastated elements of the Southeast. The president famous that the White Home requested extra funding for this system as Congress ready a short-term funding invoice that handed final month to avert a authorities shutdown.
Pressed on whether or not he would name Congress again into session earlier than the election, Johnson replied, “We’ll be again in session instantly after the election.”
“That is 30 days from now. The factor about these hurricanes and disasters of this magnitude is it takes some time to calculate the precise damages, and the states are going to wish a while to do this,” Johnson stated, including that figuring out “particular wants and requests primarily based upon the precise damages” from pure disasters takes time.
Johnson famous that earlier than Congress went on recess, the day earlier than Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, Congress appropriated $20 billion further {dollars} to the Federal Emergency Administration Company to deal with rapid wants.
“Then after that, Congress all the time takes its the due method of offering what is important,” he stated. “Congress will present. We are going to assist individuals in these disaster-prone areas. It is an acceptable position for the federal authorities, and you will have bipartisan help for that, and it will all occur in due time, and we’ll get that job completed. There should not be any concern about that.”
Johnson’s feedback come after Biden stated in remarks on the White Home final week he expects to ask Congress for a supplemental funding request for areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
Requested on the time whether or not he would ask Congress to return from recess for a particular session for a supplemental request, the president left the chance open, saying, “That’s one thing I’ll need to request, however no resolution’s been made but.”
Congress has taken swift motion on funding pure catastrophe aid efforts previously even when it was on recess, a Biden administration official famous when reached for remark.
Johnson’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Johnson was additionally pressed about false claims by some Republicans that FEMA was utilizing funds on migrants which have illegally entered the nation as an alternative of on the catastrophe response, which White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre known as “categorically false” on Friday.
The speaker acknowledged that the streams of funding for the border and hurricane response are completely different at FEMA earlier than occurring to insist that FEMA’s mission is to assist individuals affected by pure disasters, and never have interaction in funding that helps migrants who crossed the southern border.
Johnson claimed, with out proof, that the Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris and Mayorkas “have been engaged on this program,” saying they used taxpayer {dollars} to help migrants with resettlement by reimbursing nongovernmental organizations transporting migrants into the nation.
“The American individuals are disgusted by this, up with it, and so are Republicans in Congress,” he stated. “And it’ll cease after Nov. 5, as a result of we’ll have unified authorities with Republicans in cost and we are going to convey sanity again to this case.”
