President Biden is asking Congress to approve nearly $100 billion in emergency funding to support recovery efforts from recent deadly storms that hit parts of the South.
Biden on Monday sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) urging him to immediately take up requests for additional disaster assistance specifically aimed at helping those affected by storms Helen and Milton. I asked.
The total amount was not disclosed in the White House letter, but Fox News Digital said it was approximately $98 billion.
“As Congress reconvenes, I am requesting urgently needed emergency funding to provide a rapid and meaningful federal response to Hurricane Helen Milton and other natural disasters,” Biden said. I wrote a letter for him.”
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President Biden sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson about disaster relief after Herren and Milton. (Getty Images)
The Speaker's Office confirmed that it had received the request and that staff were considering it.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.).
Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have repeatedly said they are prepared to act on the storm relief fund once cost estimates are available.
Prime Minister Johnson told Fox News Digital in early October that Helen was likely to be “one of the costliest storms this country has ever seen.”
“At least six states have been affected, and the destruction has been widespread across so many regions, and I think that's why it's taking so long to assess,” Prime Minister Johnson said at the time. “Once these numbers are in place, Congress will be ready to take action.”
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Photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Helen provided to Fox News Digital by the office of Congresswoman Cat Cammack. (Office of Representative Kat Cammack)
Helen barreled through the southeastern United States in late September, killing more than 100 people and causing billions of dollars in structural damage in North Carolina alone.
Another deadly storm, Hurricane Milton, hit Florida and Georgia about a week later.
Biden's funding request is expected to target disaster funds from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, the Small Business Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and other related areas.
It comes as FEMA faces backlash after Milton and Helen was arrested in Florida after an employee was arrested for instructing staff to ignore a house with a pro-Trump sign.
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Tropicana Field's roof is damaged Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida, the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the area. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell denounced the incident as an isolated incident.
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Criswell is scheduled to face a high-stakes hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday.
It is also expected that there will be enough bipartisan support to pass any additional relief, although hardliners in the House are expected to oppose the bill if other cuts cannot offset the costs. are.
