WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other natural disasters, telling lawmakers that the money is “urgently needed.”
The letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson comes as lawmakers meet during a lame-duck session to finish key priorities before making way for a new Congress and the incoming Trump administration. Biden said he has met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and he heard what residents and businesses needed from the federal government.
"Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities,” Biden said.
The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors.
Biden said the fund would face a shortfall this budget year without additional money. He said that would not only affect the agency's ability to provide lifesaving assistance to survivors, but also would slow recovery efforts from prior disasters.
An additional $24 billion would help farmers that have experienced crop or livestock losses, and $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Some $8 billion more would help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. The administration is also seeking $4 billion for long-term water system upgrades to mitigate future damage from natural disasters. Several other agencies would also receive emergency funds if Congress agrees to the full request.
Lawmakers were expecting a hefty number from the administration. Johnson, R-La., said Congress will evaluate the request and “we’ll make sure we deliver for the hurricane victims and the people that have suffered from that.”
Johnson had also visited western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene to assess the damage. At the time, he said Congress would act in a bipartisan fashion to help communities recover, but he also said it would be ”the appropriate amount that the federal government should do.”
With many Republicans campaigning on reducing federal spending, there could be some debate about portions of Biden's request. The federal government doesn't help with every disaster. It generally gets involved only if the needs are above the ability of a community or state to handle.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to hear Wednesday from the heads of several of the government agencies that would receive funding through Biden's request. It's possible that emergency aid could be attached to any spending bill designed to keep federal agencies operating after current funding expires Dec. 20.
Biden noted that Congress had provided more than $90 billion in aid after Hurricane Katrina nearly two decades ago, and more than $50 billion after Hurricane Sandy in 2013. He urged Congress to take “immediate action.”
“Just as the Congress acted then, it is our sworn duty now to deliver the necessary resources to ensure that everyone in communities reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton — and those still recovering from previous disasters — have the Federal resources they need and deserve,” Biden wrote.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
FILE - With President Joe Biden aboard, Marine One surveys areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden, right, shakes hands with Buck Paulk, property manager of Shiloh Pecan Farm, after he spoke at the farm in Ray City, Ga., Oct. 3, 2024, as part of his trip to see areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Looking on at right is Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden, right, greets people in Keaton Beach, Fla., Oct. 3, 2024, during his tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
A recipe from “ The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes from Around the World” by Lisa Kyung Gross:
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This recipe for Greek Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Lemon and Oregano was crafted by instructor Despina Economou. When Despina was growing up in Greece, it was always considered a Sunday dish, partly because you saved meat for the weekends, and partly because everyone in town had to do their roasting in the ovens at the local bakery. By 10 o’clock in the morning on Sundays, the bakery would have 50 dishes lined up for roasting, says Despina — so many that the bakers would have to take Polaroid photos to keep track of which was whose.
Made in your own kitchen, these simply dressed bone-in chicken thighs are perfect for anytime — they’re so simple but so homey and satisfying. Despina always uses the best-quality wild oregano and extra-virgin olive oil — both always Greek. If you can do the same, it will really make this extra delicious.
Serves: 4-6
3 pounds (1.4 kg) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 9)
1 1/2 pounds (680 g) russet potatoes (about 2 large)
1/2 ounce (15 g) garlic (about 4 medium cloves)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 2 to 3 lemons)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Greek wild oregano)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare the ingredients: Take the 3 pounds (1.4 kg) bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 9) out of the refrigerator and let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before you move on to the next step. spoon or your hands to spread out the chicken and potatoes, making sure the potatoes are scattered evenly throughout — some may even be slightly under or over the chicken thighs; that’s fine. (The goal is that the chicken and potatoes will be close together in the dish but not too piled up.) Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) water to the baking dish, drizzling it in along the sides so it doesn’t wash the seasoning off the chicken. Tightly cover the dish with heavy-duty foil (or use two layers).
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and position one rack in the middle of the oven.
3. Peel the 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) russet potatoes (about 2 large) and remove any black spots with the tip of a paring knife. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into four wedges. If you have large potatoes (longer than 3 inches/7.6 cm), cut the wedges in half so you end up with 8 shorter pieces. Put the potato wedges in a very large mixing bowl.
4. Put the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes in the mixing bowl and set them aside.
5. Make the sauce: Use a garlic press to press the 1/2 ounce (15 g) garlic (about 4 medium cloves) into a small mixing bowl. (If you don’t have a garlic press, you can grate the garlic on the small holes of a box grater or a microplane.) It will come out to about 1 tablespoon of garlic.
6. Squeeze the 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 2 to 3 lemons) and add it to the garlic. Add the 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Use a fork to whisk everything together.
7. Pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes and mix everything together well with your hands.
8. Bake the chicken and potatoes: Put the seasoned chicken and potatoes in a 9- by 13-inch (23 cm-by-33 cm) baking dish. Use a spoon or your hands to spread out the chicken and potatoes, making sure the potatoes are scattered evenly throughout — some may even be slightly under or over the chicken thighs; that’s fine. (The goal is that the chicken and potatoes will be close together in the dish but not too piled up.) Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) water to the baking dish, drizzling it in along the sides so it doesn’t wash the seasoning off the chicken.
9. Tightly cover the dish with heavy-duty foil (or use two layers).
10. Roast the chicken and potatoes on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes, then remove the foil from the dish. (There may be a lot of liquid at this point; that’s fine.) Continue roasting for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and the potatoes are soft. If you’re using a thermometer, it should read at least 165°F (75°C) when inserted into a thigh near the bone.
11. Serve and eat the chicken and potatoes: Serve the dish hot, making sure each person gets at least one thigh and several potatoes.
Excerpted from “The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes from Around the World” by Lisa Kyung Gross, (copyright) 2024. Published by HarperCollins. Photographs (copyright) Kristin Teig.
This cover image released by Harvest shows "The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes from Around the World" by Lisa Kyung Gross. (Harvest via AP)
This image released by Harvest shows a recipe for Greek chicken from "The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes from Around the World" by Lisa Kyung Gross. (Kristin Teig/Harvest via AP)
