Gov. Brian Kemp appeals to White House for emergency Hurricane Michael relief
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is taking his case for emergency Hurricane Michael relief money directly to the White House.
The Republican recently appealed to President Donald Trump in a phone conversation to free up the promised funds for farmers and others devastated by the October storm, according to Kemp’s aides.
He’s also sought help from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, both U.S. senators and the state’s congressional delegation to find a way to come up with the disaster money.
“Our farmers are
hurting. Our families are hurting. They’re on the verge of economic disaster without some help,” Kemp said at this week’s Faith and Freedom Coalition luncheon.
“Urge your congressman, urge your senators,
urge your president — we’ve got to have help for our farmers. I don’t want to take away from other important issues, but we can’t let Washington forget the plight we’re under in our state. It will be a disastrous game-changer.”
The message is being heard. U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue are upping the pressure to advance a measure financing the emergency spending in the weeks ahead. Both each called Trump separately to push the case.
The two senators recently announced plans to introduce an emergency relief bill, days after Georgia lawmakers were blindsided by the disaster money’s omission from the latest border spending deal.
The federal inaction earlier triggered a demand by Kemp and other state leaders for Congress to finance aid that’s stalled for months amid infighting over Trump’s border wall.