Sept. 1 (UPI) — President Joe Biden’s administration Friday asked Congress for $16 billion in additional emergency relief funds, $4 billion more than he requested from Congress three weeks ago.
The Biden administration’s funding request said Hurricane Idalia and other natural disasters like the Maui wildfire have created the need for more money.
“I’m calling on Congress to make sure you’re able to have the funds to be able to continue to show up to meet the needs of the American people to deal with immediate crises that we’re facing right now as well as our long-term commitments that we have to make to finish the job in Maui and elsewhere, ” Biden said during remarks made at FEMA Thursday.
FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund dropped to roughly $3.4 billion this week following responses to several natural disasters from Hawaii to Vermont.
That money is expected to be exhausted by the first half of September, according to FEMA.
“We need this disaster relief request met. And we need to do it in September. We can’t wait,” Biden said.
The Biden administration’s disaster relief request is part of a roughly $40 billion supplemental funding request that includes $10.5 billion for Ukraine military assistance and $4.5 billion to replenish U.S. military stockpiles.
Republican lawmakers have balked over including a total of $24 billion for Ukraine support in the supplemental funding request.
Some Florida Republicans have called for splitting the request to approve disaster spending on its own.
