On Tuesday, Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-4) and Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-2) sent a letter to U.S. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (NY-17) urging passage of a supplemental disaster appropriations bill to help farmers, ranchers and rural communities recover and rebuild from recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Michael.
Aderholt is the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, while Bishop serves as the ranking member.
“Natural disasters, like hurricanes, know no political boundaries,” Aderholt explained in a press release. “That is why it is important for people like my friend, and Ranking Member, Sanford Bishop and myself, to come together to support the farmers affected. After all, farmers don’t care about political parties, but have to pay the bank loans back and keep their lights on.”
Excerpts from Aderholt and Bishop’s letter as follows:
On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in the United States, left a path of devastation from Alabama and Florida to Virginia. While the damage is still being assessed, it is estimated that total agricultural losses could exceed $4 billion. Less than a month earlier, Hurricane Florence slammed into North Carolina and South Carolina causing $22 billion in damages. In addition, wildfires across the western states have consumed more than 8 million acres to date. While there is never a good time for a storm like Michael, it hit at the worst time possible for farmers. With depressed commodity prices and markets closed due to retaliatory trade measures, it made the hurricane’s impact even greater.
It is our responsibility, and the responsibility of the other Members of Congress, to find solutions and provide relief to those in need. We look forward to working with you, and the full House Appropriations committee, as well as the entire Congress on a supplemental appropriations package and to reexamine federal policies where necessary.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
