WASHINGTON — As floods ravage the Mississippi basin and the South picks itself up from last month's devastating tornadoes, House Republicans want to increase aid.
Republicans controlling a key House panel boosted funding for disaster relief on Friday to make up what they called President Barack Obama's "wholly inadequate request."
The $850 million boost awarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster payments to individuals and municipalities, only partially fills a hole estimated at $3 billion or more — and that's before the bills come in from the recent wave of disasters.
The FEMA funding was approved as a House panel agreed to a $42.3 billion budget for the Department of Homeland Security by a voice vote.
Congress will have to revisit the issue next year as disaster funds run dry.
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