WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton , and other natural disasters, telling lawmakers that the money is “urgently needed.” The letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson comes as lawmakers meet during a lame-duck session to finish key priorities before making way for a new Congress and the incoming Trump administration. Biden said he has met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and he heard what residents and businesses needed from the federal government.
“Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities,” Biden said. The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors.
Biden said the fund would face a shortfall this budget year without additional money. He said that would not only affect the agency’s ability to provide lifesaving assistance to survivors, but also would slow recovery efforts from prior disasters. An additional $24 billion would help farmers that have experienced crop or livestock losses, and $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Some $8 billion more would help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and t.