Speaker Johnson Defers Congressional Session on Helen Disaster Aid Until After Election

House Speaker Mike Johnson did not commit to calling Congress back before the election despite President Biden’s request for more disaster recovery funding following Hurricane Helene. In a Fox News Sunday interview, Johnson emphasized that assessing the full damage takes time and that Congress had already allocated $20 billion to FEMA for immediate needs. He assured Congress will address the situation after the election, promising bipartisan support for disaster relief. Johnson addressed false claims from some Republicans that FEMA was using disaster relief funds to assist migrants, a claim the White House has denied. Johnson clarified that FEMA’s funding streams for disaster response and border-related issues are separate.