Biden says feds to cover 100% of costs for initial LA fire recovery
President Joe Biden announced the federal government would cover 100% of costs for the initial disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires.
Meeting with federal officials at the White House, Biden said the funds would go toward debris removal, temporary shelters, salaries for first responders and more for 180 days.
Biden said he emphasized to California officials they should "spare no expense to do what they need to do."
He also had a message for residents impacted by the ravaging fires: "We are with you. We are not going anywhere. To the firefighters and first responders, you are heroes."
"The cost of the debris cleanup is gigantic, gigantic. The cost of replacing the housing is almost exponential," he continued. "Anybody can give you a number now, they have no idea what they're talking about. It's big, big, big."