President Biden asks Congress for $100B in natural disaster recovery aid

President Joe Biden on Monday asked Congress for an additional $100 billion in disaster relief aid, in order to help Americans recover from multiple fires and hurricanes that have plagued the country in recent months.

The southeast has been struggling with the aftermaths of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, while communities on the West Coast have struggled with a heavy fire season. 

The request, which Biden sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, includes $40 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund, and billions more for other federal agencies, including the Small Business Administration, which is reportedly out of cash amid a surge in disaster loan requests, per Politico.

“From rebuilding homes and reopening critical infrastructure, such as schools and roads — to supporting the Nation’s farmers and ranchers and ensuring access to healthcare services — impacted communities await your response.  There can be no delay,” Biden wrote in a letter to Johnson.

“I urge the Congress to act quickly to pass a supplemental funding package to assist communities impacted by these hurricanes — and every other disaster since the Congress last passed a comprehensive disaster package in 2022 — so that the people, families, businesses, and communities affected have the support they need to respond, recover, and rebuild responsibly," he added.

The request also includes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Agriculture.

Johnson said on Monday that lawmakers will “go to work” on evaluating the aid requests. Congress is also working to avoid a government shutdown by Dec. 20.

"We’re going to make sure we deliver for the hurricane victims and the people that have suffered from that,” Johnson promised.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.