Don wants $44B more vs. storms

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday sent Congress a $44 billion disaster-aid request that was quickly attacked from lawmakers from hurricane-hit regions as way too small.

The request, President Trump’s third since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean, would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall close to $100 billion — and that’s before most of the money to rebuild Puerto Rico’s devastated housing stock and electric grid is added.

The request followed lobbying by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who pressed the White House for far more. “I don’t think $44 billion is a low amount,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters.