White House wants more than $23 billion from Congress to respond to natural disasters

By SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is asking lawmakers for more than $23 billion in emergency funding to help the government respond to the natural disasters that have ripped through the U.S. this year. That request is part of a broader package being sent to Capitol Hill Wednesday that asks for additional investments in child care programs and broadband expansion. And that’s on top of the separate, nearly $106 billion request the Biden administration made last week for aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as other national security priorities. The White House says the request for additional disaster relief to federal agencies is based on estimates from communities that have been hit by disasters this year, such as the August wildfires in Hawaii, hurricanes in Florida and flooding in California and Vermont,