[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E543-E544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

NEWSLETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN CHUCK EDWARDS

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HON. CHUCK EDWARDS

of north carolina

in the house of representatives

Monday, June 9, 2025

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following
newsletter to give an update to my constituents on the Hurricane Helene
report, reconciliation process, and disaster recovery efforts.

Dear Friend: On January 24th, I had the honor of being
selected by President Trump to serve on his special task
force to speed up recovery in Western North Carolina. After
several months of hearing from constituents and developing
plans to pick up the momentum in rebuilding our mountains,
I'm pleased to share my report detailing recommendations on
how to fix FEMA and accelerate the recovery process.
These recommendations were shared with the White House and
the FEMA task force, and I look forward to continuing to work
with the President and the task force in the next phase of
the process, where we implement some of these
recommendations. The report is available here,

one comprehensive bill to deliver an america first agenda

The U.S. House has opened the door to the next step in the
reconciliation process by passing the Senate's amendment to
the House budget resolution.
The House and Senate budget resolution instructs committees
to now start drafting a singular bill that will deliver
significant savings while protecting essential programs such
as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.
This bill sets the framework for Congress to deliver a
secure border, pro-family and pro-growth tax policies,
reliable domestic energy, strong national security, and a
healthier economy for the American people. While this
resolution doesn't become law, it sets budget goals for
specific committees to reduce spending and increase revenue.
The American people have had enough of the government's
reckless spending, and reining in overspending starts with
passing a reconciliation bill that cuts overall expenditures
and results in savings, not adds to the deficit.
Thankfully President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and Majority
Leader Thune have made it clear that they are committed to
passing a final reconciliation bill that restores fiscal
sanity by guaranteeing at least $1.5 trillion in spending
cuts like the budget resolution the House Budget Committee
framed.

[[Page E544]]

Now that we've passed the budget resolution, each committee
must put forth bills that align with the deficit and revenue-
related goals laid out in the resolution. From there, as a
member of the House Budget Committee, I will work with my
fellow committee colleagues to mark up and compile these
bills into one comprehensive bill so we can move forward with
fulfilling the America First agenda.

wnc recovery by the numbers

Western North Carolina, with the support of one another,
continues to make strides toward recovery after Hurricane
Helene. To highlight some of the progress we've made, I want
to share some data about the rebuilding process.
FEMA has approved more than $420 million in federal
assistance for nearly 159,000 households for Helene recovery,
including money for rent, basic home repairs, and other
disaster-related needs.
More than 7,000 families have received about $21 million
for the repair or replacement of private-access roads and
bridges.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has distributed more
than $170 million in low-interest disaster loans.
One of our region's challenges continues to be debris
removal, especially from waterways. However, we are making
progress. As of recent, more than 6 million cubic yards of
debris have been cleared from public right of ways and more
than 2 million cubic yards of debris have been removed from
our waterways.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development announced that the Federal Housing Administration
is extending its existing foreclosure moratoriums on FHA-
insured single-family mortgages in the Presidentially-
Declared Major Disaster Areas resulting from Hurricanes
Helene and Milton by 90 days. The moratorium was previously
set to expire on April 11, but this extension gives Helene
victims additional flexibility to seek and obtain the
necessary financial assistance to continue putting their
lives back together.
This extension in foreclosure relief is welcome news for
Western North Carolinians whose lives have been turned upside
down by Helene, and I will continue to work closely with the
administration to anticipate and advocate for the needs of
our mountain folk throughout the disaster recovery process.

recognizing the greenville-spartanburg nws team for their life-saving
work throughout helene

The 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, or
Sammies, are awarded to exceptional federal employees whose
accomplishments have built trust in our government and
benefited the nation.
When the time came to nominate folks for the Sammies, I
immediately knew who has earned this recognition.
Leading up to and during Hurricane Helene, the Greenville-
Spartanburg National Weather Service team showcased
extraordinary dedication and expertise, saving lives through
early preparation and real-time responses.
Helene tragically claimed 250 lives across the southwestern
United States, 107 of which were in Western North Carolina,
but this death toll would have been far higher without the
Greenville-Spartanburg NWS team's efforts. Thanks to their
early warnings and actionable guidance, thousands of
residents were able to evacuate or take protective measures
before the storm hit Western North Carolina.
By setting a high standard for public service, the team not
only saved lives during Hurricane Helene, but they also
established a benchmark for how federal agencies should
respond to future disasters. I am proud to nominate them for
the Sammies award and am grateful for their actions that have
undoubtedly saved countless lives.
With my warmest regards,
Chuck Edwards,
Member of Congress.

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