The White House’s Urgent Call for Disaster Relief Funding
The Biden administration has been actively urging Congress to approve a substantial $100 billion in disaster relief funding aimed at replenishing essential resources and supporting communities devastated by hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with other severe weather events.
This funding was a critical component of a bipartisan agreement that ultimately fell apart on Wednesday, largely due to a series of critical social media posts from Elon Musk that criticized the deal, coupled with President-elect Donald Trump’s demand to reopen discussions on the contentious topic of the national debt ceiling. The breakdown of these negotiations represents a significant setback for Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who had worked diligently to forge a compromise to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the Christmas holiday, only to see his efforts undermined by both Trump and Musk.
With the clock ticking, lawmakers are now racing to forge a new agreement before midnight on Friday, when the federal government is scheduled to halt all non-essential operations.
A government shutdown would result in furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, who wouldn’t receive paychecks until Congress reaches a new funding agreement. This situation could lead to the closure of national parks and delays in crucial food and environmental inspections. While Social Security payments would continue, many associated services, such as benefit verification and new application processing, would be significantly scaled back.
In their efforts to dismantle the broader funding package, Musk and Trump have inadvertently jeopardized the disaster relief funds—one of the few aspects of the spending bill that actually enjoys bipartisan support. Republican senators from states severely impacted by hurricanes in September and October, including Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have voiced strong support for the passage of these funds. Following Trump and Musk’s actions, Sen. Tedd Budd of North Carolina took to X, asserting that there would be “no” temporary funding bill “without disaster relief for Western North Carolina.”
The White House has intensified its criticism towards Republicans, accusing them of obstructing vital disaster relief and other necessary expenditures. “Republicans must cease their political gamesmanship with this bipartisan agreement or risk harming hardworking Americans and destabilizing the nation,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement on Wednesday night. “President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance have instructed Republicans to shut down the government, threatening to do so while undermining support for disaster recovery, farmers, ranchers, and community health services.”
The most recent federal government shutdown occurred during Trump’s first term, lasting five weeks and marking the longest shutdown in U.S. history. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that shutdown, which concluded in January 2019, inflicted approximately $3 billion in economic losses.
During the 2013 government shutdown, the Republican Party’s approval ratings plummeted, taking an entire year to recover, as noted by Republican strategist and pollster Whit Ayres. “Historically, Republicans have borne the brunt of the backlash from government shutdowns,” Ayres remarked. “It’s crucial for them to find a way to keep the government operational, as both they and the incoming administration will likely face severe consequences if they fail.”
For several months, Shalanda Young, the director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, has been advocating for Congress to pass a standalone disaster relief package. In a memo distributed to lawmakers in November, Young emphasized that comprehensive disaster funding had not been approved in two years. Additional resources are urgently required to assist communities in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina that suffered devastation from Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Florida was subsequently hit by another catastrophic storm, Hurricane Milton, in October. Other affected regions include Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, New Mexico, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, all of which require funds for recovery efforts.
Of the requested $100 billion in disaster funding, approximately $29 billion was earmarked to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s core disaster relief fund, which supports immediate recovery initiatives such as debris removal, road and power line repairs, and financial aid for those displaced by natural disasters. Additionally, around $21 billion was allocated for farmers facing crop and livestock losses due to storms. The remainder of the funds was designated for infrastructure repairs, housing grants to facilitate community recovery, and low-interest loans for small businesses struggling to rebuild. Without prompt Congressional action, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is at risk of running out of funds, which could negatively impact the job market in areas devastated by recent storms.
When efforts to pass a separate disaster relief bill fell through, lawmakers opted to incorporate the disaster funding into the ill-fated compromise bill that would have maintained government spending at current levels for federal agencies until March, when Trump will assume office with Republicans holding narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.
