In a new interview with Spectrum News, it’s clear even Senator Ted Budd knows DC insider and “recovery czar” Michael Whatley left Western North Carolina behind and is lying about the state of Hurricane Helene recovery: 

Senator Ted Budd: “A lot of people have moved on. I haven’t moved on. I said we need to focus on Western North Carolina getting them restored. We still got some roads, we got bridges, we got debris and riverways and creeks. We got some properties that haven’t yet been restored. We want to make them as whole as possible, and we need some more funding in there […] The main thing is Western North Carolina, to make sure that they are not forgotten.”

Since becoming “recovery czar” nearly 18 months ago, Whatley has repeatedly lied about the progress of Helene recovery, claiming that “99% of the roads” and “99% of the bridges have been rebuilt” and bragging about a “massive acceleration” in debris removal.

Smoky Mountain News: “Infrastructure recovery presents a similar disconnect between rhetoric and reality. Whatley said that ‘99% of the roads have been rebuilt’ and ‘99% of the bridges have been rebuilt.’ State data again undercuts Whatley’s claim.”

Smoky Mountain News: “Whatley claimed FEMA had ‘eliminated the red tape’ and that there had been a ‘massive acceleration’ in debris removal. On Aug. 1, a story in the Asheville Citizen-Times suggested debris removal had actually slowed. Local governments continued to report denials.”

This isn’t the first time Whatley’s own party has called out his failures. Senator Thom Tillis has said that “the people of Western North Carolina […] who were affected by Helene deserve better” and an NCGOP executive committee member commented, “I never saw him step up.” 

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