Biden: Congress should come back to fund storm response

President Joe Biden on Thursday suggested that Congress should return to Washington early to pass more disaster aid in the wake of two major hurricanes, warning that federal emergency funds for small businesses are nearly exhausted.

“I think the Congress should be coming back and moving on emergency needs immediately,” he told reporters at the White House the day after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, adding that lawmakers must “move as rapidly as they can, particularly on the most immediate need, which is small business.”

The federal government is still tallying the cost of recovery from Milton and Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of several southern states late last month. FEMA currently has the resources it needs for its lengthy response effort, Biden said, but a Small Business Administration fund that provides disaster loans to homeowners and businesses is running low.

“It’s pretty right at the edge right now,” he said of the available SBA funding. “They’re going to need a lot more.”

Lawmakers from both parties have called for Congress to cut short its recess and reconvene before Election Day, citing the need to allocate more disaster aid. But congressional leaders have shown no willingness to call members back before their planned return on November 12, insisting that the federal government has enough to sustain itself until then.

Biden, during a brief back-and-forth with reporters, also renewed his criticism of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans for spreading misinformation about the federal hurricane response, calling it “bizarre” behavior.

“They’re being so damn un-American with the way they’re talking about this stuff,” Biden said.

The president also laughed off a question about whether he’d spoken with Trump directly.

“Are you kidding me?” he said, before looking into the camera and addressing Trump directly. “Former President Trump: Get a life, man. Help these people.”