US: Vice President Harris To Deliver Remarks On Hurricane Helene Shortly

Vice President Kamala Harris is shortly due to deliver remarks on federal government actions to support the emergency response to Hurricane Helene in Georgia and other states in the southeast. Harris' remarks in Augusta, Georgia, will be followed by an operational briefing for President Biden in Raleigh, North Carolina. Both events will be live-streamed here.  

• Biden suggested earlier this week that Congress may be recalled to pass an emergency bill to inject FEMA with fresh funding. That now appears unlikely, with senior Congressional leaders noting that the current USD$20 billion for FEMA will be sufficient to handle immediate needs until Congress returns after the general election.
• Bloomberg reported this morning that the fallout from Hurricane Helene could impact voting in North Carolina and Georgia, two key presidential election swing states, noting the storm “is already disrupting voting there and injecting new uncertainty into the state’s high-stakes elections.”
• The Washington Post reported that storm damage threatens mines that produce high-purity quartz used to make semiconductors, with North Carolina producing 80% of the world’s supply of high-purity quartz.
• Bloomberg noted: “The impact on the global chipmaking sector remain unclear, given semiconductor firms are adept at stockpiling essential components and the operations in North Carolina are expected to eventually resume.”