CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris visited North Carolina on Saturday as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene , arriving there one day after a stop in the state by Republican Donald Trump, who is spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster.
The vice president was greeted at the airport by Gov. Roy Cooper among others, and quickly headed into a briefing with emergency response officials about the recovery effort. Earlier in the week, Harris was in Georgia, where she helped distribute meals, toured the damage and consoled families hard-hit by the storm.
President Joe Biden, too, visited the disaster zone. During stops over two days in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia, Biden surveyed the damage and met with farmers whose crops have been destroyed. The two have been vocal and visible about the government's willingness to help, and the administration's efforts so far include covering costs for all of the rescue and recovery efforts across the Southeast for several months as states struggle under the weight of the mass damage.
In a letter late Friday to congressional leaders, Biden wrote that while the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund "has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year.” He also called on lawmakers to act quickly to restore funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program. More than 200.