Old North News

A Florida U.S. Congressman said President Joe Biden’s (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris’ (D) “priorities are not America First” after announcing $157 million in funding for Lebanon in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s impact on North Carolina.

“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sending $157 million of your tax dollars to Lebanon and only sending $100 million to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina,” U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) posted on X. “This shows you their priorities are not America First.”

Harris announced on Oct. 5 $157 million in funding for Lebanon following Israel’s missile strikes on targets in Lebanon that Israel said are tied to terrorist organization Hezbollah.

"The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there. The United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict,” Harris posted on X. “This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million.”

Harris said the administration “will provide $100 million to repair I-40” in North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the day after she said hurricane victims can apply for $750 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relief funds.

"We will stand with North Carolina and every state affected by this storm for the long haul," she said in her post on X. 

The Lebanon funding announcement also comes as U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said it was “outrageous that the Biden-Harris administration claims that FEMA may not have the money to make it through hurricane season after they allocated over $1.4 billion to house illegal aliens who should have never been in this country,” reported Old North News.