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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release May 20, 1996

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The President made available today $189.3 million in "contingent" emergency funding to address urgent needs arising from the consequences of recent natural disasters.

These disasters include severe winter flooding in the Pacific Northwest, the blizzard and subsequent flooding in the Northeast, and damaging hurricanes.

The $189.3 million in contingent funding comes in addition to about $750 million in regular disaster assistance; both were provided under Public Law 104-134, the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996.

Under this law, the President had to declare that more assistance was necessary to release the contingent funds. The President made the declaration today.

The funds have been made available to the following agencies:

Today's announcement does not include other regular and contingent funds that, under this law, will be available in the coming weeks. That funding includes flood recovery assistance for the Departments of Commerce and Housing and Urban Development, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Small Business Administration.

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