In a letter dated March 2, Congressman Jones and fellow North Carolina Representatives Robin Hayes and Charles Taylor, requested additional funding over President Clinton’s Fiscal Year 2000 Emergency Budget Supplemental to help satisfy unmet needs.  A full text of the letter is available upon request.

“As North Carolina continues down the long and often trying road to recovery, we appreciate the assistance that has been made available to aid our recovery process.  We respectfully request your continued support to help us satisfy our existing needs,” they wrote.

 The Congressmen requested additional funding for the following agencies and areas:

Department of Agriculture

• Authorization to forgive $81 million in USDA commodity price-support loans for our tobacco, peanut, and cotton farmers
• Authorization to allow previously appropriated $5 million in Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funds to be used for repairing farm structures and equipment
• $139 million for the ECP to address unmet needs estimated by the North Carolina Farm Bureau and Farm Service Agency
• $15.9 million in USDA low-interest loans to construct 1,000 units of rural rental housing
• $13.6 million in rental assistance for the new constructed units

Coastal Assistance

• $13 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to make payments to North Carolina and Florida fishermen and to repair a NOAA facility on the North Carolina coast
• $19 million to the Army Corps of Engineers to repair damages to navigation channels and harbors including dredging, cleaning disposal areas, snagging, removing drift and debris removal
• Emergency appropriations for dune and berm replacement at Oak Island, Holden Beach, Caswell Beach, Topsail Island, Bogue Banks, and Dare County Beaches

Department of Defense

• $27 million to repair defense facilities in North Carolina (Seymour Johnson, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, and Marine Corps Air Station New Rive)

Housing Assistance

• $12 million for Housing and Urban Development to support approximately 2,000 additional housing vouchers to assist families displaced from their homes

 
“While we appreciate the work and assistance that has already been provided by your committee and the various federal agencies, we remain disappointed that the $81 million for our tobacco, peanut and cotton farmers was left out of the FY2000 Consolidated Appropriations At.  As you remember, this funding request received strong support within our delegation, but unfortunately fell victim to concerns raised by the authorizing committees.  It is our understanding that the language has been modified with the support of the farming community to meet the concerns that were raised last fall by the authorization committee.  As our farmers cope with a grueling recovery process in preparation for the next growing season, it is imperative this funding request be granted in the FY2000 emergency Supplemental,” they wrote.

“No one could have expected or adequately prepared for the level of damage that Hurricane Floyd brought to the State of North Carolina.  Following on the heels of consecutive hurricanes last season, Floyd caused massive flooding in our hundred-year flood plains, forcing thousands of citizens from their homes and creating what is now the greatest housing crisis in the nation.  In addition, our beaches and coastal communities suffered immeasurable damage and we face unprecedented destruction to our farm equipment and structures,” the Congressmen wrote.