WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement on the White House’s revised request for additional disaster relief funding, which totals more than $98 billion and will help communities recover from floods, wildfires, and hurricanes that have impacted communities across the country, including Vermont: 

“The White House’s updated disaster aid request is welcome and should be a wake-up call to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle—communities from Vermont to  Hawai‘i, and the Carolinas to Texas urgently need our help. I’ll keep advocating for Vermont as Congress begins crafting a disaster aid bill.  

“I am fighting on behalf of Vermonters to get this bill to President Biden’s desk as quickly as possible. Rural communities in Vermont and across America are strapped for cash because they’ve been forced to make repairs with the promise they’ll eventually be reimbursed. Homeowners are waiting for buyouts. Farmers and small businesses need dedicated assistance. Vermont needs this relief, as do hurricane victims in the Carolinas and Texas, and wildfire victims in  Hawai‘i. These disasters don’t discriminate based on political preference. The election is over, and we can retreat from our partisan corners to get this done for Americans in need—together.” 

The White House first requested more than $23 billion in disaster relief as part of a supplemental funding request in October 2023, and revised that request in June 2024—adding $4 billion. This new revised request for disaster funding totals more than $98 billion. 

###