Biden to send disaster relief funding package to Congress in coming days

President Biden will send Congress an extensive emergency funding request in the coming days, the White House said Monday, as administration officials called on Congress to approve more money following a slew of natural disasters.

Various agencies, including the Small Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are running low on funding following Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton and other severe storms, wrote Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a memo to interested parties.

"To ensure these communities get comprehensive recovery assistance, our Administration has made multiple requests to Congress outlining the need for emergency funding to address these disasters, and detailing the consequences of failing to deliver this aid. To date, Congress has yet to act,” Young wrote, noting lawmakers last passed a comprehensive disaster aid package in December 2022.

Young wrote that FEMA needs additional funding so it can provide assistance to repair housing, rebuild infrastructure and work to prevent damage in future storms.

Additionally, the Small Business Administration is managing 36 disasters across 24 states, Young wrote, and a lack of funding could prevent it from providing loans to businesses in need.

The Department of Agriculture needs additional funding to assist rural communities, Young added, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development requires more money for its grant programs.

“In the coming days, the Biden-Harris Administration will send to Congress a comprehensive disaster package,” Young wrote. “We look forward to working with Congress to quickly pass emergency funding so the Federal Government can meet its obligations to the American people.”

Hurricane Helene tore through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas in September, killing more than 200 people and causing more than $50 billion in damage in North Carolina alone. Hurricane Milton hit Florida in early October, killing more than 30 people and causing billions more in damage.

Congress must pass a government funding bill before Dec. 20 to avert a shutdown. The White House is expected to push lawmakers to include disaster relief funds in that legislation.