BUDGET/CRISIS/FEMA/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House asked Congress on Wednesday [10-4-17] to approve $29 billion in additional hurricane relief and debt forgiveness, seeking to help Puerto Rico and other battered areas and to shore up the troubled federal program that provides flood insurance to homes and small businesses.
The request came nearly a month after lawmakers approved a first installment of $15 billion in disaster relief, taking action after Hurricane Harvey caused devastation in Texas and while Hurricane Irma was heading toward Florida. Many more billions of dollars in aid requests are likely to come as Puerto Rico and other areas assess the damage from this year’s hurricanes.
The latest request seeks $12.8 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to stay current with the nearly $200 million a day the agency is spending on recovery work. It also asks for lawmakers to wipe out $16 billion in debt that the National Flood Insurance Program owes to the Treasury and has no immediate way to repay…
In addition, the White House is also seeking $577 million in response to wildfires that have been prevalent this year in Western states, and is calling for efforts to limit the cost and devastation of wildfires…
It was not immediately clear how and when the latest disaster relief request would be handled by lawmakers. The Senate has planned a recess next week, and the House has one scheduled for the following week.”
-Thomas Kaplan and Mary Williams Walsh, “White House Asks Congress for $29 Billion in Hurricane Aid,” The New York Times online, Oct. 4, 2017