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.
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_(13).png "Facebook_Posts_(2025)_(13).png")
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.
