Stein asks Congress for more than $10 billion for Helene recovery
RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein asked members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation this week to support more than $10 billion in additional federal funding for western North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene recovery.
Stein met with delegation members Wednesday in Washington, D.C., according to the governor’s office. He was joined by state Sen. Kevin Corbin, a Republican whose district includes western North Carolina counties affected by the storm.
The governor’s office said Stein urged Congress to appropriate the additional money for recovery work in western North Carolina. The request comes as communities continue to rebuild from Helene, which caused widespread damage across the region.
“North Carolina is grateful for every dollar the federal government has put toward Hurricane Helene recovery, and we’re putting those dollars to work,” Stein said in the announcement. “I am encouraged by today’s meetings with North Carolina’s congressional delegation, and I look forward to working with them to deliver more federal resources to western North Carolina.”
The governor’s office said Stein provided congressional members with updates on recovery needs and called for additional investment from the federal government. The announcement did not specify a bill number or congressional appropriations vehicle tied to the request.
The request places Helene recovery back before federal lawmakers as North Carolina continues to balance state and federal recovery responsibilities. Disaster recovery funding often moves through multiple programs and agencies, including housing, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture and emergency management channels.
Stein said western North Carolina residents are working on recovery and that state and federal governments have a role in supporting those efforts.
The governor’s office has continued to highlight recovery needs in western North Carolina as state agencies administer existing programs and local governments assess longer-term rebuilding costs. The June 10 meeting in Washington focused on seeking additional federal funding beyond money already committed.
Corbin’s participation gave the meeting a bipartisan state-level presence, with the governor’s office noting that he joined Stein in the congressional delegation meetings.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
