In a letter to congressional leaders, Biden urged Congress to restore funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program as it faces potential funding shortfalls.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday did not commit to calling Congress back into session before the election after President Joe Biden pressed congressional leaders about potential funding shortfalls in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson was asked about Biden’s letter to congressional leaders on Friday requesting more money for federal disaster recovery efforts and after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the department doesn’t have enough money to get through the rest of hurricane season.

Congress has taken swift action on funding natural disaster relief efforts in the past even when it was on recess, a Biden administration official noted when reached for comment.


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  • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    The Republicans feel that inhibiting the federal government’s ability to prevent people from dying will help their election chances. It’s as simple as that.

    • NevermindNoMind@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      It’s even simpler than that. We’re four weeks to the election, everyone in the house of reps is busy campaigning for reelection. Nobody wants to go to DC and work, letting the campaign challengers run around your district unopposed.

      And what would be the point if they did come back? Johnson couldn’t get his party to pass a continuing resolution to find the government Republican sweeteners attached (voter id law). How the fuck is he going to get his party on board for “government handouts” without the freedom caucus making some asinine demand that tanks the whole thing. Johnson certainly doesn’t want to remind voters of the shit show of distinction that is the Republican controlled House weeks before an election.

      Pull all your vulnerable members off the campaign trail in the final weeks so that you can put on a fuck fuck circus generating daily headlines about how Republicans can’t govern? Fat fucking chance.

      And if Biden calls a special session, Republicans are going to say it’s political to make them look bad, cause they can’t govern.