{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-jones-leads-bipartisan-call-for-additional-funds-for-hurricane-michael-recovery", "Senator Jones Leads Bipartisan Call for Additional Funds for Hurricane Michael Recovery", "2018-11-30", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Doug Jones", "J000300", "www.jones.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Birmingham,\r\nAla. U.S. Senator\r\nDoug Jones today announced his continued efforts to support Alabamians\r\nrecovering from Hurricane Michael with a direct appeal to Senate leadership\r\nurging support for disaster\r\nassistance\r\nfor Alabama farmers and the state's agriculture community. Senator Jones\r\nand Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) led the letter and were joined by Senators\r\nDavid Perdue (R-Ga.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Marco\r\nRubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Thom Tillis\r\n(R-N.C.), whose states were also affected by hurricanes in September and\r\nOctober. In their\r\nletter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck\r\nSchumer (D-N.Y.), the senators wrote, We believe it is our duty as Members of\r\nCongress to step in and assist farmers and others who are in need. We ask that\r\nas leaders of the United States Senate you direct this body to work with the\r\nHouse of Representatives to include emergency appropriations for those states\r\naffected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in the next appropriations bill the\r\nSenate considers. Hurricane\r\nMichael caused an estimated\r\n$307 million in damages and the loss of more than 2,500 jobs in Alabama. The combined\r\nlosses from Hurricanes Florence and Michael cost other states additional\r\nbillions in agriculture production and job losses. Cotton was\r\nruined during a crucial harvest period, destroying what promised to be a\r\nhistorically high yield. Peanuts, sweet potatoes, and a multitude of other\r\nfruits and vegetables that were not yet harvested rotted in the soil. High\r\nwinds leveled acres of timber stands and pecan trees and demolished poultry,\r\npork, and cattle barns, killing and dispersing animals and livestock, the\r\nletter continued. SenatorJoneshas continued to work with federal,\r\nstate, local leaders, and residents to ensure that Alabama gets the resources\r\nit needs to fully recover from this devastating hurricane. He recently visited\r\nthe Wiregrass region tolisten to localfarmersto better understand the extent of\r\nthe damage their crops sustained as well as their uniquerecoveryneeds. Earlier this month, the U.S.\r\nDepartment of Agriculture (USDA) approved the State of Alabama's application\r\nfor an agricultural disaster declaration, which SenatorJonessupported in aletterto\r\nUSDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.  Full\r\ntext of the letter can be found here and below.  November\r\n30, 2018 The\r\nHonorable Mitch\r\nMcConnell                     The Honorable Chuck Schumer  Senate\r\nMajority\r\nLeader                             Senate Minority Leader  317\r\nRussell Senate Office\r\nBuilding                    322 Hart Senate Office Building  Washington,\r\nDC\r\n20510                              Washington, DC 20510  Dear\r\nMajority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer: We\r\nare writing in support of our farmers, ranchers, producers, and communities\r\nthat were devastated in the wake of multiple natural disasters in 2018. The\r\ndestruction we have seen firsthand in our respective states, coupled with the\r\npoor overall condition of the farm economy, has demonstrated the clear need for\r\nCongress to provide a supplemental disaster appropriations bill immediately. Hurricanes\r\nFlorence and Michael made landfall in the Southeast in September and October,\r\nrespectively, leaving a historic level of destruction from Florida to Virginia.\r\nHurricane Michael caused more than $2.5 billion in losses to Georgia's\r\nagricultural industry, nearly $1.5 billion in agricultural production losses in\r\nFlorida, and an estimated $307 million in damages and the loss of more than\r\n2,500 jobs in Alabama. Similarly, Hurricanes Florence and Michael are\r\nresponsible for $1.1 billion worth of destruction to North Carolina's crops as\r\nwell as $205 million in agriculture losses in South Carolina. As a result from\r\nthese disasters, cotton was ruined during a crucial harvest period, destroying\r\nwhat promised to be a historically high yield. Peanuts, sweet potatoes, and a\r\nmultitude of other fruits and vegetables that were not yet harvested rotted in\r\nthe soil. High winds leveled acres of timber stands and pecan trees and\r\ndemolished poultry, pork, and cattle barns, killing and dispersing animals and\r\nlivestock. We\r\nbelieve it is our duty as Members of Congress to step in and assist farmers and\r\nothers who are in need. We ask that as leaders of the United States Senate you\r\ndirect this body to work with the House of Representatives to include emergency\r\nappropriations for those states affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in\r\nthe next appropriations bill the Senate considers. Sincerely, ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-jones-leads-bipartisan-call-for-additional-funds-for-hurricane-michael-recovery"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8577890694141388, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}