President Biden has announced that the federal government will provide one-time payments of $770 to people affected by the ongoing California wildfires, allowing them to pay for necessities such as baby formula, prescriptions, clothing and groceries. said.
Biden made the announcement Thursday night during a briefing from the Oval Office on the situation in Southern California. Approximately 6,000 people have been approved to receive benefits so far, and a total of $5.1 million has already been disbursed through the program, the president said.
“We’re not waiting until the fires are over to start assisting the victims. We’re asking them for help now,” Biden said from the Oval Office.
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President Biden asks a question while being briefed on the federal government’s response to wildfires across Los Angeles during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, January 13, 2025.
On January 8, the President approved a disaster declaration for California, providing temporary shelter and home repairs for individuals affected by the disaster in Los Angeles, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and assistance to individuals and business owners. began providing federal funding for other programs that Recover from wildfires. The president also pledged that the federal government would cover all of California’s disaster response costs for six months.
Meanwhile, during a news conference Monday night, Biden called on Congress to step up funding for wildfires and their victims.
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“It’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles back on track,” Biden said at a news conference with Vice President Kamala Harris and emergency officials. “We need Congress to step up funding.”
Ali Rivera and Anderson Hao embrace in front of their destroyed home on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Altadena, California. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A total of 33,000 people affected by the California fires have requested federal assistance, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a Monday briefing. He said that number continues to rise and he expects it to slow in the short term.
Criswell added during Monday’s Oval Office briefing that about 700 to 800 people are currently staying in eight emergency shelters as a result of the wildfires, meaning many have been separated from family and friends. He pointed out that this means they are sheltering together or in a hotel room. Criswell said the federal government’s disaster declaration could provide reimbursement for people staying in hotels.
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In addition to FEMA, the Department of Defense and National Guard are also committing federal resources to help fight the fires, which have so far claimed at least 24 lives.
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