Biden wants an extra $4 billion for disaster relief, bringing the total request to $16 billion
Biden wants an extra $4 billion for disaster relief, bringing the total request to $16 billion
https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2
The White House will seek another $4 billion to address natural disasters as part of its supplemental funding request, bringing the total to $16 billion.
The White House will seek an additional $4 billion to address natural disasters as part of its supplemental funding request, bringing the total to $16 billion — a sign that wildfires, flooding and hurricanes that have intensified during a period of climate change are imposing ever higher costs on U.S. taxpayers.
The Biden administration had initially requested $12 billion in extra funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund, which helps with rescue and relief efforts. But a spokesperson in the Office of Management and Budget, Shelby Wagenseller, said that the fires in Hawaii and Louisiana as well as flooding in Vermont and Hurricane Idalia striking Florida and other Southeastern states mean that a total of $16 billion is needed.
As recently as Tuesday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had stressed that $12 billion would be enough to meet the agency’s needs through the end of the fiscal year this month.