**Biden Faces Criticism Over Federal Response to Hurricane Helene**

President Joe Biden, after completing a two-day tour of areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene, declared that those affected were satisfied with the federal response. However, this statement has drawn sharp criticism, especially after Biden briefly hesitated and asked for clarification on which storm was being discussed.

Biden, aged 81, has drawn fire from Republican critics who accuse him of being disconnected from the local concerns over the federal response’s pace and comprehensiveness to what is being described as America’s deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Following his visit to Florida and Georgia, and a tour of South Carolina and North Carolina the previous day, Biden responded to a query about the storm-impacted zones by indicating that people in these areas were receiving everything they needed and were satisfied with the efforts.

However, numerous voices from the affected regions argue otherwise. Critics have decried the sluggish provision of aid in western North Carolina and the delayed approval of Georgia counties for federal relief funds. Initial aid included a mere $750 per affected person for essentials like groceries. The situation escalated when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas suggested that FEMA was running low on hurricane relief funds after allocating $1.4 billion over two years on housing and food for migrants awaiting asylum hearings in the US.

Several Republican representatives have openly criticized Biden’s awareness and handling of the crisis. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) questioned Biden's familiarity with the situation, and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) expressed disbelief over Biden’s comments about the affected populations being happy and adequately assisted.

Responses from local officials have varied. While South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster praised the federal response, describing it as "superb," Georgia Governor Brian Kemp voiced strong dissatisfaction. Kemp was particularly irked by the initial inclusion of only 11 of Georgia’s 159 counties in the emergency designation for federal aid, noting that about 90 counties needed assistance. His complaints led to an additional 30 counties being added later in the day.

In western North Carolina, Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) echoed the discontent among his constituents, remarking that the federal response had been disappointingly slow, with significant resources only beginning to arrive 80 hours after the storm subsided. The storm had concluded by 10 a.m. on Friday, yet it wasn't until days later that notable federal assistance started to appear on the scene.