Tifton, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) are leading a bipartisan push for disaster relief funding to prevent deep and lasting economic damage to the agricultural industry in the Southeast.
Ossoff and Scott, alongside Georgia’s entire Congressional Delegation, led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 34 lawmakers from Southeastern states, urging Congressional Leadership to work with them and the Biden Administration to ensure disaster relief resources are made available to producers following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene for agriculture.
“To prevent deep and lasting economic damage to the agricultural industry in the southeastern United States, it is imperative that Congress make appropriations as soon as possible upon the completion of damage assessments to fully fund unmet agricultural disaster relief needs in our states and across the nation,” Ossoff, Scott and colleagues wrote to Congressional Leadership. “Farmers and growers nationwide, not only those damaged by Helene, have now faced multiple growing seasons without sufficient federal support. Our constituents are counting on us to act swiftly.”
Legislative Leaders Involved
Sen. Ossoff and Rep. Scott are joined by Sens. Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Rich McCormick (GA-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Mike Collins (GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rick Allen (GA-12), David Scott (GA-13), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Darren Soto (FL-09), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Don Davis (NC-01), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Dan Bishop (NC-08), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Alma Adams (NC-12) Wiley Nickel (NC-13), Jeff Jackson (NC-14), and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01).
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida last week as a devastating Category 4 hurricane before making its way through Georgia and downgrading to a tropical storm affecting South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee — with deep, disastrous impacts across agricultural sectors.
“Federal agricultural disaster assistance is essential to help our states and our nation recover. We urge you to work with the administration to ensure disaster relief resources are made available to our growers. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to working with you to secure these critical resources,” the group wrote.
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff and Rep. Scott’s bipartisan, bicameral letter.