U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsac said funding to help farmers hit by Hurricane Irene is already authorized and appropriated.
He told CNN on Thursday that he is not concerned the department's programs will run out of money.
"The farmers aren't going to have worry about waiting for Congress to determine if there are going to be offsets," said Vilsac.
Funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency has come under scrutiny since the storm swept up the East Coast, causing loss of life and billions of dollars in damage.
Vilsac told CNN he has "never seen anything like" the farm fields he toured in North Carolina after the hurricane.
"It's very clear that farmers in North Carolina, Virginia, and along the East Coast have suffered pretty significant loses," Vilsac said.
