Bush to request $51 bln for relief
The second such request since the storm devastated the Gulf Coast last week
WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush plans to send Congress a request for $51.8 billion for relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, the second such request since the storm devastated the Gulf Coast last week, the White House said on Wednesday.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the money would include $50 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $1.4 billion for the Department of Defense and $400 million for the Army Corps of Engineers.
The request follows a $10.5 billion package that Bush signed on Friday and is aimed at addressing the immediate needs of the survivors of the deadly hurricane.
The White House and Congress in coming weeks will consider longer-term measures to rebuild the shattered region and help survivors with housing, jobs and a host of other needs. Some congressional sources said those additional longer-term measures could top $100 billion.
