US | Mayor Bill White Officials: Texas Needs $40B From Feds for Ike Cleanup Mayors ask Congress to move quickly on relief By Ambreen Ali Posted Sep 23, 2008 4:05 PM CDT Copied Shreveport, La., Mayor Cedric Glover, center, joined Texas officials in Washington today to seek disaster relief aid. (AP Photo) Texas officials told Congress today they might need up to $40 billion in aid to rebuild the state's hurricane-hit areas, the Houston Chronicle reports. The state's lieutenant governor sought at least $11.5 billion of aid and as many trailer homes as available to help the 770 communities damaged by Hurricane Ike. Houston's mayor requested an immediate $2.5 billion injection to help his metropolis. “Now we have been hit directly, and we need the federal government’s help,” Bill White said, reminding lawmakers that Houston received little reimbursement for the 100,000 evacuees who poured in from the Gulf Coast in 2005. Officials asked that FEMA work directly with them to avoid a bureaucratic mess; Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he will urge “parity” between help for Ike victims and the current Wall Street bailout. Read These Next Rubio says the fate of Iran's conversion facility is what matters. Her blood isn't compatible with anyone else's. Some of the most explosive Diddy allegations are dropped. Fan who taunted Ketel Marte's mom has been banned by MLB. Report an error