After Budd pressure, funding approved for WNC clean-up and recovery will significantly reduce backlog
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) today released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that they have disbursed $64 million in funding to reimburse communities across Western North Carolina for more than two-dozen projects following Hurricane Helene. This announcement follows Sen. Budd’s vote against cloture for DHS Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans nominee Robert Law, and his procedural holds on other pending DHS nominees.
“After Hurricane Helene hit, our local communities stepped up to deliver urgent clean-up and rebuilding efforts so that the people of Western North Carolina could return to some semblance of normalcy,” said Senator Budd. “These projects incurred significant debts that the federal government pledged to reimburse them for, but for too many communities, funding has lagged. I am thankful for President Trump’s strong support for Western North Carolina and personal interest in reducing the backlog of projects requiring reimbursement. As new projects are completed and processed for approval, our work must continue. I will do everything I can to ensure communities in Western North Carolina expeditiously receive the funding they were promised.”
BACKGROUND:
Since August 15, 2025, the federal government has reimbursed North Carolina entities for more than $227 million toward Hurricane Helene response and recovery. The $64+ million in funds, announced today, will reimburse the State of North Carolina, local governments, and other entities for projects repairing and rebuilding vital infrastructure including: the NC Department of Transportation, NC Emergency Management, the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, the Town of Beech Mountain, the Town of Lake Lure, the Town of Marshall, Asheville Christian Academy, Haywood Electric Membership Corp., and Skyline Telephone Membership Corp.
Click HERE to access a full table with details on these projects.
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