Washington, D.C. — Yesterday the Biden Administration sent to Congress a $98.6 billion emergency budget request to help fund the response to recent natural disasters and other emergencies, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton. It includes resources for the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s Disaster Relief Fund, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery Program, the Transportation Department’s Emergency Relief Program, and EPA’s clean water programs, among others. In response, USCM President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther released the following statement:
“There are people across America who are hurting right now, and this package represents real hope for them. Too many have lost everything. The President’s request will help house, feed, and keep healthy those who’ve been impacted. It will provide desperately needed loans to businesses, homeowners, renters, and private nonprofit organizations to assist in their recovery. It will help to rebuild damaged roads, bridges, water systems, and public buildings. It will enable affected communities to help restore their housing, their infrastructure and their economic vitality.
“The scale of the disasters that many cities and other local areas have experienced in recent months is immense and their situation is desperate. America’s mayors urge Congress to provide these resources quickly and without politics or partisanship. These communities will come back, but they need federal lawmakers to be there for them. Let’s get this done now.”