US government shutdown would hit 2,000 long-term disaster recovery projects -White House

[September 28, 2023]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House warned on Thursday a partial shutdown of the federal government that could occur this weekend would delay nearly 2,000 long-term disaster recovery projects.   

Fire and Rescue team members search for people trapped under the rubble in the aftermath of a tornado, after a monster storm system tore through the South and Midwest on Friday, in Wynne, Arkansas, U.S. April 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo

A budget standoff in the Republican-led House of Representatives, which the White House blames on far-right Republican lawmakers, is pushing the government to the brink of a shutdown.

The White House on Monday had warned a shutdown would result in a rapid loss of food benefits for nearly 7 million low-income women and children.

In a statement on Thursday, the White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund, already under strain by multiple natural disasters, would result in a delay of nearly 2,000 long-term recovery projects in communities across the country.

It cited a variety of rebuilding projects that would face delays, including the Wilson County School in Tennessee, a senior citizens center in New Jersey and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of projects from 2022 Hurricane Ian in Florida.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Michael Perry)

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