NW Atlanta News

This week, Representative Barry Loudermilk from Georgia's 11th district joined a group of Congressional members in a bipartisan and bicameral effort to call for immediate support for farmers affected by Hurricane Helene. The letter, addressed to Congressional leadership, seeks collaboration with the Biden Administration to provide necessary disaster relief resources to farmers and growers who have suffered due to the hurricane.

The letter emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating: “To prevent deep and lasting economic damage to the agricultural industry in the southeastern United States, it is imperative that Congress make appropriations as soon as possible upon the completion of damage assessments to fully fund unmet agricultural disaster relief needs in our states and across the nation.” It highlights that farmers nationwide have faced multiple growing seasons without adequate federal support.

The signatories of this letter include U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock from Georgia, along with other representatives from Southeastern states such as Thom Tillis from North Carolina. The Georgia delegation features Reps. Buddy Carter, Sanford D. Bishop Jr., Drew Ferguson, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Rich McCormick, Lucy McBath, Austin Scott, Andrew Clyde, Mike Collins, Rick Allen, David Scott, Majorie Taylor Greene among others. Additionally, Representatives Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost from Florida also signed the letter.

In their conclusion, the members stated: “Federal agricultural disaster assistance is essential to help our States and our Nation recover. We urge you to work with the administration to ensure disaster relief resources are made available to our growers. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to working with you to secure these critical resources.”

The full text of this bipartisan and bicameral letter is available for public reading.