Biden Demands $100 Billion in Disaster Relief Funding Before End of Term

As Joe Biden prepares to leave office in January, he is trying to force several last-minute bills through the lame-duck session of Congress, including a staggering $100 billion disaster relief proposal.

According to the Washington Examiner, Biden sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday outlining the conditions of his demands.

The bill would include $40 billion to restore the funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its Disaster Relief Fund, which was depleted significantly due to the agency spending most of its disaster relief money on support for illegal aliens. Biden’s bill would also require another $2 billion to restore the funds of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan assistance program.

Additional funding would include $24 billion for the Department of Agriculture, $12 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), $8 billion for the Department of Transportation (DOT), $4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, $2 billion each for both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Commerce, $1 billion each for the Department of Education and Department of Energy, and hundreds of millions for a variety of other agencies, including the State Department and the Department of the Interior, among others.

Biden’s request follows the impact of two major hurricanes in the American Southeast, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, which primarily affected the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Earlier requests for additional relief funding had been made by a bipartisan group of senators from the affected states, including Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).

However, there has been resistance to any further attempts to rush disaster relief through Congress. Last week, Senator Tillis’ attempt to have additional funding approved by unanimous consent in the Senate was defeated by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

During a conference call with reporters, the outgoing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young spoke on the possibility of additional funding.

“I’m not surprised that Speaker Johnson, my fellow Louisianian, has, in his own words, given people comfort that funding is on the way and there’s no room for politics and disaster relief,” said Young on the Monday call. “As President Biden has said, there are no Democrats, there are no Republicans when it comes to delivering this relief. With Congress back in session, the Biden-Harris administration stands ready to work with lawmakers to deliver the vital resources our communities need and expect with strong, bipartisan and bicameral support.”

The new Congress, the 119th Congress, will be sworn in on January 3rd, followed by the inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on January 20th.