As the U.S. Senate considers an $88 billion supplemental funding bill without a single dollar for Hurricane Helene aid, Michael Whatley continues to fail to deliver federal relief as Western North Carolina’s “recovery czar.” Even Republican Senator Ted Budd is fed up with the lack of aid and knows Whatley is failing Helene victims, saying he would block the request until Helene aid is included.
Whatley was appointed “recovery czar” almost 18 months ago and has still yet to deliver the federal funds Western North Carolina needs.
Whatley’s abysmal record as “recovery czar” includes failure after failure:
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Only around 15 percent of needs have been met in federal support, so Whatley is covering it up by lying, making claims “increasingly at odds with the state’s own data.”
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Western North Carolinians have called on Whatley to step down as “recovery czar,” with nearly 200 people “calling for Whatley’s ouster.”
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Michael Whatley co-chaired the FEMA Review Council’s Final Report Subcommittee, and after months of delays, the report’s recommendations would disproportionately hurt small and rural communities.
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