Last December, Sen. Ossoff brought Republicans & Democrats together to pass $21 billion in disaster relief for farmers in Georgia & nationwide
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff pressed President Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today to expedite Hurricane relief for Georgia farmers.
Today, in a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies hearing, Sen. Ossoff called on USDA Secretary Rollins to expedite relief to Georgia farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene.
During the hearing, Sen. Ossoff shared stories from constituents like Arren Moses, owner of Moses Pecan in Uvalda, Georgia, who told Sen. Ossoff’s office, “we lost almost our entire 2024 pecan crop when Hurricane Helene hit our orchards. We lost the majority of our mature pecan trees, which will set our farm’s production back for years. We were thankful that Congress approved disaster assistance funding at the end of last year, but it’s critical that these funds get to those that need help.”
Chris Hopkins, a cotton producer in Toombs County, also told Sen. Ossoff’s office that the storm has “created a void due to loss of yield and quality as well as cost of cleanup that has become untenable to a first-generation operation like mine.”
In response to Sen. Ossoff’s questioning, Secretary Rollins said USDA will make Hurricane Helene disaster funding available “by the end of the month, hopefully in the next week.”
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s line of questioning.
Sen. Ossoff continues pressing the Trump Administration to swiftly distribute Federal disaster assistance for Georgia farmers that Congress secured after Hurricane Helene.
Last December, Sen. Ossoff successfully fought to pass a bipartisan disaster relief package that included $21 billion in agricultural disaster funding to help Georgia farmers recovering from the disastrous impacts of Hurricane Helene and farmers nationwide impacted by natural disasters.
Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff’s remarks and questioning below:
SEN. OSSOFF: “Thank you Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Madam Secretary, thank you for joining us. I want to follow up on hurricane disaster assistance, a key, key priority for farmers in Georgia, Madam Secretary.
“It’s worth noting that after Hurricane Michael in 2018 it took the Congress the better part of a year to pass disaster assistance.
“We worked together across the aisle here to get it done after Hurricane Helene in less than 90 days.
“Here’s a quote from Arren Moses, owner of Moses Pecan in Uvalda, Georgia: ‘We lost almost our entire 2024 pecan crop when Hurricane Helene hit our orchards. We lost the majority of our mature pecan trees, which will set our farm’s production back for years. We were thankful that Congress approved disaster assistance funding at the end of last year, but it’s critical that these funds get to those that need help.’
“Here’s a quote from Chris Hopkins, a cotton producer in Toombs County, he said that the storm has ‘created a void due to loss of yield and quality as well as cost of cleanup that has become untenable to a first-generation operation like mine.’
“When can farmers in Georgia expect that hurricane relief, which we passed timely in Congress, to be out the door?”
SEC. ROLLINS: “Yeah. First of all, thank you for that. That relief was passed very quickly and very impressively at the end of last year, and so we have been tracking it very, very closely. I have visited Georgia, hopefully next time I’ll see you. I visited some of those peanut farmers, especially, I’ve seen the devastation firsthand. It is heartbreaking to witness it. I had mentioned earlier, but it’s good to keep repeating it, that within a matter of weeks, the portal will open on those grant applications. Under ECAP, which was the first tranche, that first $10 billion that went out for emergency assistance…”
SEN. OSSOFF: “That’s the economic assistance. I’m referring to the disaster assistance.”
SEC. ROLLINS: “That’s right, I understand, but I just want to use that as an explanation of how we’re going to be also doing the second tranche, which is the disaster. We on March 17, announced it. On March 20, funds were moving out and into farmers’ bank accounts…”
SEN. OSSOFF: “When will the portal be open for the disaster assistance?”
SEC. ROLLINS: “By the end of the month, hopefully in the next week.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “How will that impact states that are using a block grant arrangement with USDA?”
SEC. ROLLINS: “Well, that’s a state-by-state question, so I’ll be happy to follow up with Tyler Harper, your Ag Commissioner, who I know was tracking this very, very closely and ensuring…”
SEN. OSSOFF: “When do you expect those discussions with the state to be resolved?”
SEC. ROLLINS: “Well, we, again, there are 50 states. We’re talking to all of them. When we open that portal, hopefully it moves almost immediately. We’ve already moved $280 million that was outlined in that disaster relief into Texas. Because it was outlined, it was obviously easier than the, you know, than the open, the open book on the rest of the states. But it will move very, very quickly.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “Time is of the essence.”
SEC. ROLLINS: “If you don’t see that, then, would you please let me know.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “I sure will.”
SEC. ROLLINS: “And we’ll do everything we can.”
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