Biden underscores the necessity of prompt hurricane-relief financing, encouraging Congress to take action and boost their efforts.
Despite assurances from authorities that the federal government has sufficient resources to tackle immediate concerns resulting from hurricanes Milton and Helene, the FEMA's disaster relief fund is rapidly depleting. This is due to the agency's necessity to manage two succeeding catastrophic hurricanes, along with an unusually extreme weather year across the nation. Biden is scheduled to visit Florida on Sunday to inspect areas impacted by Milton.
Friday, the president acknowledged not communicating with House Speaker Mike Johnson yet, but expressed his desire to engage with Johnson to initiate the procedure for passing relief aid, specifically for small businesses. The Small Business Administration is liable for administering a loan program for homeowners and small businesses recuperating from disasters, offering anywhere between $100,000 and $2 million for rebuilding destroyed or damaged property.
Biden communicated to congressional leaders recently that this particular program is predicted to exhaust its funds within a few weeks, prior to Congress' scheduled reconvening.
"We're heading to Congress. We're going to require a lot of aid. We're going to need a lot more money as we determine precisely how much is needed. So I'm telling everyone now - I don't want to hear this is the end of it," Biden stated Friday, alluding to experts' estimations of $50 billion in damage from Hurricane Milton alone.
However, neither Johnson nor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have exhibited any indication of convening congressional members, who are currently on recess until after the November election.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell addressed Florida on Friday, asserting that her agency has the necessary funds to satisfy the immediate requirements of Helene and Milton survivors; however, further funding is required shortly.
"The Disaster Relief Fund certainly does not have enough money to continue recoveries for everything I have throughout the entire fiscal year," Criswell mentioned at a press conference in Punta Gorda.
"We're assessing every day how much it's drawing down on that, so I can carry on collaborating with my leadership and Congress as to when we will require a supplemental," the administrator added. "We will need one. It's just a matter of when."
Earlier this week, Criswell stated approximately $9 billion of the $20 billion disaster-relief appropriation approved by Congress recently had been depleted within a week; this reflects the swift pace at which funds are being expended, as federal data suggests costlier disasters are occurring more frequently.
However, discussions regarding FEMA and disaster-relief funding have recently taken a sharply political turn, potentially complicating deliberations in Congress. Former President Trump has repeatedly criticized the agency and falsely accused it of channeling funds meant for hurricane victims towards migrants or inexplicably disappearing.
For the third consecutive day, Biden on Friday admonished Trump for disseminating untruths concerning the federal government's response to the storm.
Misinformation and disinformation, the president asserted, are "an eternal existence for some extreme individuals. But I don't believe it's what the nation is about. We're transcending it, we're transcending with truth."
Noting contact with Republican mayors and governors, Biden commended them for "standing up" against the tide of falsehoods.
"Conservative, hardcore" Republicans, Biden declared "are standing up and saying, ‘It's got to stop.’” He later praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as "very cooperative."
"I believe those who have been propagating these lies to undermine the opposition are going to encounter repercussions for it," Biden said.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott stated Friday that while "we need to ensure" programs including the Disaster Relief Program and Small Business Administration have sufficient funding, his immediate concern was to ensure his state's residents remain alive as threats persist in Milton's aftermath.
"In the short term, everyone needs to stay alive," Scott, who spoke with Biden Thursday, said. "We can rebuild everything. It looks horrible right now ... you feel bad for these families, but be vigilant."
CNN’s Ella Nilsen contributed to this report.
In light of the depletion of the FEMA's disaster relief fund due to the management of multiple catastrophic hurricanes and an extreme weather year, there's an urgent need for political action to secure additional funding. Biden has acknowledged the need for Congress to provide more aid for disaster relief.
The politicization of FEMA and disaster-relief funding has become a significant challenge, with false accusations from former President Trump potentially complicating deliberations in Congress.
