WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is looking for practically $100 billion in emergency support after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and different pure disasters, telling lawmakers the cash is “urgently wanted.”
Monday’s letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson comes as lawmakers meet throughout a lame-duck session to put out key priorities earlier than making manner for a brand new Congress and the longer term Trump administration. Biden mentioned he met firsthand with folks affected by the storms and heard what residents and companies wanted from the federal authorities.
“Additional sources are crucial to proceed supporting these communities,” Biden mentioned.
Most of the cash, about $40 billion, would go to the principle catastrophe aid fund on the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Biden has mentioned the fund will face a deficit this funds 12 months with out extra funds. According to him, this may not solely have an effect on the company’s capability to offer life-saving help to survivors, but in addition gradual restoration efforts from earlier disasters.
Another $24 billion would assist farmers who’ve suffered crop or livestock losses, and $12 billion would go to group improvement block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
About $8 billion extra would assist rebuild and restore highways and bridges in additional than 40 states and territories. The administration can also be searching for $4 billion for long-term water system upgrades to mitigate future injury from pure disasters. Several different companies would additionally obtain emergency funding if Congress grants the request.
Lawmakers anticipated a big quantity from the administration. Johnson, R-La., mentioned Congress will take into account the request and “we are going to be certain that we ship outcomes for the victims of the hurricane and the individuals who suffered from it.”
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday is anticipated to listen to from the heads of a number of authorities companies that may obtain funding at Biden’s request. It’s doable that emergency support may very well be hooked up to any spending invoice designed to maintain federal companies working after present funding expires on Dec. 20.
Biden famous that Congress offered greater than $90 billion in support after Hurricane Katrina practically 20 years in the past, and greater than $50 billion after Hurricane Sandy in 2013. He urged Congress to take “rapid motion ”.
“Just as Congress acted then, it’s now our sworn obligation to offer the sources essential to make sure that all these residing in communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton – and people nonetheless recovering from earlier disasters – have the federal sources they want they want and deserve,” Biden wrote.
AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
