The White House is asking Congress for at least $30 billion to help fund the resettlement of tens of thousands of Afghans and to pay for the recovery from Hurricane Ida and other recent natural disasters.
The short-term budgetary request to Congress, called a continuing resolution, includes $6.4 billion to help fund the processing and resettlement of Afghan refugees, at least $10 billion for recovery from Hurricane Ida and $14 billion for other natural disasters, an administration official said on a call with reporters.
The U.S. anticipates bringing 64,000 Afghans to the U.S. by the end of this month and 30,000 over the next 12 months, the official said. Of the funding for the refugees, $2.4 billion will go to pay for the Defense Department’s operations overseas where the Afghans are being held and processed. An additional $1.7 billion will go to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide funding and resources to the Afghans to help them set up a new home in the U.S.
The funding for Afghans refugees would also go to support transportation costs between oversees processing sites and the United States, security screenings, humanitarian assistance, public health screenings and vaccinations.
The requested $10 billion for Ida recovery is only an initial estimate and the administration plans to work with Congress to reach a more specific number, the administration official said. President Joe Biden was in New York and New Jersey on Tuesday surveying the damage after traveling to Louisiana last week.
“We fully expect that hurricane Ida will significantly increase the need for disaster response funding by at least $10 billion,” the official said. “And while it will take time to assess the damage and to arrive at a more specific estimate, we are committed to working with Congress to address those needs as well.”
The request also includes funding for previous hurricanes, including Laura and Delta, along with the Puerto Rico earthquake and numerous wildfires over the past 18 months.
