The White House is requesting roughly $44 billion in additional aid from Congress on Friday for Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida and other disaster-stricken areas.
In a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the Trump administration said the $44 billion is not the final disaster request because “detailed damage assessments” are not yet complete for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
“Accordingly, the Administration will continue to identify, refine, and articulate additional emergency funding requirements working with the governments of Puerto Rico and USVI,” wrote Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Mulvaney added that it would be “prudent” for Congress to offset the cost of the new disaster spending and offered suggestions for how to do so.