Biden wants $30B for disaster aid, Afghan resettlement and stopgap spending bill

The White House budget office on Tuesday urged Congress to spend more than $30 billion to fund natural disaster aid and the resettlement of Afghan refugees as part of a stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown.

The White House is seeking $14 billion in aid to address natural disasters that occurred before Hurricane Ida and another $6.4 billion to cover the cost of relocating tens of thousands Afghans who assisted the U.S. over the past 20 years.

In addition, the administration said it expects to ask Congress for another $10 billion in disaster relief because of the damage wrought by Hurricane Ida.

White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Shalanda Young asked Congress to attach the funds to a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

The federal government is set to shut down on Sept. 30, unless lawmakers approve a stopgap measure, known as a short-term continuing resolution that would keep the government funded at its current level.