Federal Shutdown
Counties should be aware that details are constantly shifting during the federal shutdown, and information can rapidly change from day to day. Continue to follow federal and state communication channels for the latest updates. Any information NCACC shares will be directly linked to official communications and may become outdated quickly as the situation changes in Washington, D.C.
NCACC Visits Washington, D.C.
County commissioners from Western North Carolina and members of the NCACC Executive Committee traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for increased and faster FEMA reimbursements for areas damaged by Hurricane Helene. In partnership with NACo’s Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, the trip began with a private showing of Rising Above Helene, a 100 Strong Productions documentary about Western North Carolina’s recovery efforts. U.S. Representative Deborah Ross joined the screening and praised the counties’ work advocating for enhanced disaster recovery tools.
The following day, despite a federal shutdown, NCACC representatives met with Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, and Representatives Virginia Foxx and Tim Moore, and staffers from Representative Chuck Edwards’ office. Conversations were productive, with the main message being that FEMA needs to streamline its processes and provide more clarity to local governments applying for assistance. NCACC shared county-specific needs with the elected officials and their staff and continues to provide additional information so they can advocate for their constituents to FEMA and other members of Congress.
