Democrats Stand With Cooper's Incompetent Hurricane Response | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     U.S. Senator Thom Tillis was flanked by N.C. House Speaker Moore, N.C. Senator Berger, and other eastern North Carolina Republican leaders as they highlighted the unacceptable pace at which Governor Cooper has allocated disaster relief for North Carolinians, and Tillis announced The Ensuring Disaster Recovery For Local Communities Act to make up for the Governor's incompetence.

    "Getting disaster relief out the door to North Carolinians in need - especially funds which were secured and promised over two years ago - should not be a partisan issue," stated NCGOP spokesperson Jeff Hauser. "Yet Governor Cooper has failed to get these desperately-needed funds to eastern North Carolina families and farms, and has vetoed additional hurricane relief included in the bipartisan budget bill passed by both the House and the Senate without a word of objection from either Cal Cunningham or Erica Smith, who has pledged to sustain Governor Cooper's budget veto. North Carolinians deserve better from than incompetence, silence, and votes against relief for areas of the state ravaged by hurricanes."

    Cunningham served in Cooper's administration and spent nearly seven months running to be the Governor's right-hand yes man until he was hand-picked by Chuck Schumer to enter the U.S. Senate race. Smith is a vocal supporter of Cooper in the state Senate. So far during the race, both members of the Democrat field have consistently weighed in on state-based issues, such as Medicaid expansion, but have avoided criticizing Cooper's botched disaster relief allocation effort.

    BACKGROUND

    As Of July 2019, NC Had Spent Only Six Percent Of Federal Housing Funds Because Of "Administrative Mistakes And Inexperience." "A May report from the General Assembly's government watchdog agency showed that federal housing funds for Hurricane Matthew victims were delayed due to administrative mistakes and inexperience. As of July, over two years since Matthew made landfall, North Carolina had spent about 6% of those funds." ("Hurricane Survivors Frustrated With Slow Spending Of Housing Recovery Funds," Associated Press, 7/25/19)

• Cooper Communications Director Sadie Weiner Stated That North Carolina Has Gotten $2.8 Billion On The Ground In State And Federal Money" But Only Spent "$93 Million." (Press Release, "Cooper Office Statement on Disaster Recovery Press Conference," Office Of Governor Roy Cooper, 8/28/19)

    "North Carolina Hurricane Survivors Are Frustrated With The Slow Spending Of Federal Long-Term Housing Recovery Funds." ("Hurricane Survivors Frustrated With Slow Spending Of Housing Recovery Funds," Associated Press, 7/25/19)

    "As Displaced Florence Survivors Wait For These Funds," Homes "Could Be More Vulnerable To Future Storms" And Many "Are Still Awaiting Repairs." "The federal recovery funds for Florence still need to undergo a lengthy process before the state receives them. As displaced Florence survivors wait for these funds, some are working on their homes themselves with the help of volunteer organizations. But, those repairs are not complete fixes to the home, meaning that homes could be more vulnerable in future storms. Many homes are still awaiting repairs." ("Hurricane Survivors Frustrated With Slow Spending Of Housing Recovery Funds," Associated Press, 7/25/19)

• Contact: Jeff Hauser
•     jeff.hauser@ncgop.org