Governor Stein Advocates for Western North Carolina’s Recovery in Washington, D.C.

Today Governor Josh Stein and native officers from Buncombe, Ashe, Haywood, Madison, and Rutherford counties traveled to Washington, D.C., to satisfy with the Trump administration and members of Congress about North Carolina’s request for $13.5 billion in new funding for Hurricane Helene restoration. The Governor met with Representatives Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Greg Murphy, Valerie Foushee, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, Richard Hudson, Pat Harrigan, Chuck Edwards, Alma Adams, and Tim Moore, Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to advocate for essential investments in western North Carolina. 

“It’s been nearly a year since Hurricane Helene, and while we are grateful for every dollar of federal support we have received, we need more,” mentioned Governor Josh Stein. “I was pleased to meet with the Trump administration and members of our Congressional delegation to advocate for an additional $13.5 billion to strengthen western North Carolina’s recovery, getting folks back in their homes, boosting small businesses, supporting local governments, and repairing critical infrastructure.”

Governor Stein’s proposal calls on Congress to move new appropriations to help Helene restoration, together with:

• $8 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to rebuild houses, small companies, and demanding infrastructure.
• $400 million for the Small Business Administration in forgivable small enterprise loans to assist them get their income again on monitor.
• Nearly $1.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation to revive roads and demanding infrastructure, together with I-40, which has seen non permanent repairs.
• Nearly $2 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, primarily for Special Community Disaster Loans, which assist native governments finance police and fireplace safety, income assortment, hazard insurance coverage, trash assortment, and public services upkeep.

Governor Stein can be calling on federal businesses to allocate funding to North Carolina that was beforehand appropriated by Congress within the American Relief Act of 2025. The Governor’s full request, together with the brand new $13.5 billion requested of Congress and excellent allocations by federal businesses, totals almost $23 billion.

North Carolina leaders have expressed appreciation for each greenback directed towards restoration, however present federal monetary help falls brief. In whole, federal help to this point quantities to roughly 9% of the full injury western North Carolina suffered. Meanwhile, storms that have been equally devastating – reminiscent of Hurricanes Katrina, Maria, and Sandy – noticed greater than 70% of the price of restoration efforts coated by federal funding. Governor Stein’s $23 billion request would carry the federal help North Carolina obtained to 47%.  

Click here to read Governor Stein’s full budget request.