WASHINGTON — Growing extreme-weather dangers imply President Joe Biden’s anticipated request for billions in additional disaster-relief funding won’t be sufficient for the subsequent fiscal yr, FEMA head Deanne Criswell mentioned.
Biden’s roughly $12 billion request would cowl the spending yr ending Sept. 30, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator mentioned on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
“As we’re continuing to see the increase in these severe weather events, that dollar amount may need to go up as we go into next fiscal year,” Criswell mentioned.
A wildfire in early August that destroyed the Hawaiian city of Lahaina and killed greater than 100 individuals has targeted consideration on the rising price of pure disasters. Biden plans to go to Hawaii on Monday, partially to “provide a sense of hope and assurance that the federal government is going to be with them,” Criswell mentioned on ABC’s This Week.
Biden intends to submit a supplemental funding request of a minimum of $25 billion to Congress. FEMA expects that its operating finances might be depleted by mid-September, on account of catastrophic occasion spending.
The White House request is about to immediate pushback from Republicans who’re hesitant to approve extra funding for Ukraine that’s a part of the package deal.
The White House declared a state of emergency for Hawaii, which unlocked federal sources to assist residents on the bottom, although Biden has confronted criticism on the swiftness of his response which included a “no comment” to reporters when requested about Hawaii support final week.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”