Sens. Kaine and Warner push for additional hurricane relief funding

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Even though Hurricanes Helene and Milton have come and gone, communities in Virginia are still grappling with the aftermath of the damages left behind.

The hurricanes have disrupted the lives of many Virginians, forcing them to pause their everyday routines and focus on rebuilding what was lost.

Last week, Senator Tim Kaine called on President Joe Biden to request additional funding to support Southwest Virginia and other affected communities across the state.

Senator Mark Warner has pledged his support for the effort.

“We want to advocate for the inclusion of public lands money. Governor [Glenn] Youngkin and the federal delegations worked pretty closely on this. He’s made such a request, and we’re going to try to honor that as we work on this package,” said Kaine.

“It’s just wrong that we have not, on a unanimous basis, gone ahead and refilled the Small Business Administration funding so that people who have been approved for loans can get those loans in a timely fashion,” said Warner.

Kaine noted that they originally aimed to finalize the funding deal by the end of September. However, he believes the delay is due in part to challenges stemming from public sentiment.

Kaine says electoral politics have also hindered earlier progress and emphasizes that the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, must complete the deal by December 20.