CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN INVITES SPEAKER MCCARTHY TO TOUR FLOOD DAMAGE, DEMANDS MCCARTHY INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FOR IMPACTED FAMILIES IN FEMA FUNDING LEGISLATION

Congressman Pat Ryan Invites Speaker McCarthy to Tour Flood Damage, Demands McCarthy Include Individual Assistance for Impacted Families in FEMA Funding Legislation

Ryan offers to personally drive McCarthy from his fundraiser in Sullivan County to Highland Falls 

House is expected to vote on supplemental FEMA funding in early September

HIGHLAND FALLS, NY –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan invited Speaker Kevin McCarthy to join him on a tour of flood damage in the Hudson Valley and demanded that McCarthy include individual assistance for impacted families in the upcoming FEMA supplemental funding bill. McCarthy will already be in Sullivan County Wednesday, and Ryan has offered to personally drive him to Highland Falls. 

“I’ve spoken with disabled veterans whose homes are still in shambles, families previously in low-income housing that now have nowhere to live, and kids stuck in condemned homes because they can’t afford repairs. I’m demanding that Speaker McCarthy look them in the eye and reassure them that his FEMA funding legislation will include individual assistance for Hudson Valley flood victims,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “The Major Disaster Declaration was a critical first step to enable our recovery, but now Congress must come together to deliver relief for everyone impacted. I’ll keep fighting, and I hope the Speaker will join me in doing what is right.”

Since historic flooding devastated the Hudson Valley in July, Congressman Ryan and his office have worked around the clock to deliver relief for impacted families. Ryan formed a coalition of community partners and mobilized his Constituent Advocacy Resources Empowerment Services (C.A.R.E.S.) Van to hold a series of events to deliver flood recovery resources directly to constituents in communities impacted by the flood.

Ryan visited communities throughout Orange County to assess the damage, meet residents impacted by the storm, and partner with state, local, and federal leaders on a coordinated response. Ryan’s staff have also volunteered at the Red Cross shelter in Highland Falls and will continue to be on the ground for additional support.

On July 14th, Ryan joined Congressman Lawler in a bipartisan call for a Major Disaster Declaration, which was approved by President Biden on July 22nd.

On August 4th, Congressman Ryan announced the re-opening of the Popolopen Bridge, a key access point connecting Route 9W and the surrounding counties. Funds provided by the Major Disaster Declaration were critical for the bridge to re-open only four weeks after flooding damage closed it. The project was originally expected to take months to fix and had caused significant traffic disruption, and slowed economic activity.

A copy of Ryan’s letter to Speaker McCarthy appears below:

Dear Speaker McCarthy,

I write to invite you to visit and assess the recent flood damage in New York's 18th District with me on Wednesday, August 23rd. Given that you will be in the Hudson Valley for other events, you have an important opportunity – and I believe an obligation – to see firsthand the catastrophic consequences of the storm, which has been declared a Major Disaster, and understand why I’ve continued to push aggressively for additional federal funding to help our families recover and rebuild. Most importantly, I am demanding that in the emergency supplemental that Congress is currently considering, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding must specifically include direct assistance for individuals and families impacted by the Hudson Valley flood.   

On July 9th, 2023, the Hudson Valley region and southeastern New York were struck by as much as eight inches of torrential rainfall that washed away homes, roads, and businesses. Tragically, one resident died and hundreds in the region have been displaced. Yet somehow, the House of Representatives, under your leadership, has refused to pass additional funding for FEMA. 

Since the flood, my team and I have personally spoken with hundreds of residents. Their stories are heartbreaking. We met a Veteran with a 100% VA Disability Rating who suffered a TBI during his time serving our nation, yet we have failed to provide him with the assistance he needs to rebuild his home. This is simply not a cost he can bear on his own, nor should he have to. We are in ongoing communication with residents living in low income housing at Weyant Green Apartments who are now left searching desperately for places to live, and families living in homes that have now been condemned due to flood damage and without FEMA assistance will remain homeless.  

President Biden’s Major Disaster Declaration was a critical first step that has enabled us to repair roads, reopen bridges, and rebuild critical infrastructure, but we have much more work ahead. Congress must now come together in a bipartisan manner to provide direct relief to impacted families and individuals. Inaction is not an option. As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I strongly urge you to come to see firsthand the damage in the Hudson Valley, so that you and I can both look these families and community members in the eye and tell them that Congress is doing everything we possibly can to ensure they have the help they need. 

Sincerely, 

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