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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Newark, New Jersey)
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For Immediate Release                                   November 4, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today I will seek Congressional approval for $429 million in additional assistance for the victims of Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina, New Jersey, and all the states affected by this disaster. These are existing funds that will be reallocated within the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They will assist in the buyout and relocation of homes located in floodplains that remain vulnerable to future floods.

Additionally, I continue to urge Congress to fully fund my request for SBA's disaster loan program that can help families and small businesses rebuild in the wake of hurricanes and other natural disasters. I have already asked Congress to provide $500 million that will help farmers in New Jersey and other states who have suffered severe crop losses due to drought and flooding. I urge Congress to meet my requests to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by Hurricane Floyd.

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