In January, DC insider Michael Whatley was named the federal “recovery czar” after Hurricane Helene and put in charge of “making sure everything goes well.”

Nine months later, Western North Carolina communities are still left waiting on federal relief funds to be released and for Whatley to show up:

• The federal government is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars of relief, and only 9% of needs have been met in Western North Carolina. In comparison, the federal government covered over 70 percent of damages after massive storms like Katrina, Maria, and Sandy.
• More than 100 Western North Carolinians called on Whatley to be removed from the FEMA Review Council and protested him at a FEMA “Listening Session” that was closed to the public.
• Whatley is “rarely, if ever, be[ing] visible in Helene’s disaster zone” and doing “little to alter the fundamental trajectory of Helene recovery.”
• Western North Carolinians have shown “growing frustration” and “express[ed] anger” at Whatley for being “absent,” saying he “is to blame” for the delays. 
• Republicans Ted Budd and Chuck Edwards sounded the alarm over the delays in federal relief, with Budd calling it a “problem” that “should not have been allowed.” 

As Whatley spends the anniversary of Helene campaigning at the Salt & Light Conference, here are five questions Whatley must answer:

1. As the recovery czar for Western North Carolina, will you denounce Secretary Noem’s decision to prioritize relief funding for her donor in Florida over North Carolina?
2. Have you had any discussions with Secretary Noem about the calls to remove you from the FEMA Review Council?
3. The federal government covered over 70 percent of damages after massive storms like Katrina, Maria, and Sandy. Why has the federal government only covered 9 percent of the needs after Helene?
4. What do you say to Western North Carolinians who may be upset that you are here today campaigning on the anniversary of Helene when they’re still recovering and fighting for relief?
5. What grade would you give yourself as the “recovery czar”?

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