U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) are leading the push for Congress to pass critical disaster relief funding for Georgia and other states impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters.
It has been more than six months since Georgia was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Seasonal crops like cotton and fruits and vegetables were destroyed at peak harvest by the high winds and heavy rain and flooding. Additionally, Georgia pecan farmers suffered generational losses when trees that take 12 years or more to become fruitful were destroyed.
“We’re talking about a disastrous failure of the government of the United States of America to respond to the needs of the people,” Isakson said, while calling on colleagues in Congress to act immediately to provide financial aid.
“I don’t want to leave this Friday without us having done something. I don’t want to leave tonight without us having done something,” Isakson continued. “So I call on everybody to recognize that we have Americans hurting, Americans who deserve what they expect from their country.”
Isakson stressed that the crisis in Georgia has been amplified by the lack of action by Congress to fund relief.
“When you have an agricultural destruction, once that crop is gone, it is gone,” Isakson explained. “And when it takes trees out, you’re not talking about a cycle of 12 months. You’re talking about a cycle that’s 14 to 18 years in terms of maturity of those trees.”
“The real disaster is Congress’s inability to pass a disaster aid bill. And until we do it, I’m going to be…fighting to see that we get it done,” he said.
Perdue spoke on the struggles farmers in Georgia are having when trying to obtain another round of loans from local banks through no fault of their own, but due to the continued lack of federal aid.
“Today, many farmers in Georgia are coming into their second, and some third, round of bridge loans through local banks,” Perdue said. “And the local banks need some kind of encouragement from the federal government to say, ‘We’re going to be there for you.’”
Perdue did sound optimistic at one point, stating that lawmakers who have been at odds on the issue are “getting very close to actually getting an agreement on this.”
“At this point of criticality nobody should leave Washington,” said Perdue. “We shouldn’t go home on the weekend unless we actually get something done on this, and I think we are close to doing that.”
Isakson and Perdue introduced a bipartisan disaster relief package with the backing of President Donald Trump on Feb. 26, after Congress failed to address the disasters through the appropriations process. They continue to negotiate with their colleagues on a path forward to secure critical funding for Georgia and other impacted states.
Isakson and Perdue’s bipartisan funding package includes:
· Approximately $13.6 billion in overall relief efforts to all those affected.
· Critical agriculture disaster relief for farmers recovering in the wake of Hurricane Michael and other natural disasters across the country.
· Development grants for small, rural communities impacted by natural disasters in 2018.
· Assistance for veterans’ health facilities and military construction projects devastated by Hurricane Michael.
· Emergency funds for critical timber, watershed and wastewater infrastructure needs.
· Restoration of highways, aviation facilities and other transit projects damaged by natural disasters.
· Additional $600 million in nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico in response to President Trump’s disaster declaration.
