Cole: Congress ‘prepared to act’ on disaster aid

By Jennifer Scholtes | 05/06/2025 06:49 AM EDT

Disaster relief funding is expected to be depleted this summer, but the White House hasn’t sent Congress an emergency request.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) speaks with reporters.

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said he's waiting for the White House to send him a disaster supplemental request. Francis Chung/POLITICO

The Trump administration is on track to run out of cash for disaster relief this summer, and the House’s top appropriator has been asking for an emergency request from the White House.

FEMA estimates that it will be down to about $5 billion in the disaster relief fund in June — just in time for the start of Atlantic hurricane season — before running out of cash by July or August.

By the time the new fiscal year dawns in October, the Trump administration predicts it will have $8 billion in disaster costs it cannot pay, unless Congress clears an emergency aid package in the meantime.

But lawmakers need President Donald Trump to send a formal request to make that happen.

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