WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- President Joe Biden is asking Congress to pass nearly $100 billion for disaster relief efforts. He sent a letter to lawmakers Monday urging them to move quickly to get more funding to federal agencies as they work to help communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.  Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency is in dire need of more money for their ongoing recovery efforts.  "We are quickly running out of the funding we need to support this mission," Criswell said.  The president's request totals about $98 billion. It includes $40 billion for FEMA's disaster relief fund, $24 billion for the Agriculture Department to help farmers and support nutrition programs, $12 billion for Housing and Urban Development for grants to address damage, and $8 billion for the Transportation Department to rebuild roads and bridges.  "This relief is important. Families, small businesses, neighborhoods, and communities are counting on their government to be there for them when they need help the most," Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young said.  Now it will be up to Congress to decide if and when to pass the funding. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) says it is an urgent priority.  "The size of the request is significant, but it needs to be based on the extent of the damage," Kaine said.  He expects there will be bipartisan support behind it, even among Republicans usually skeptical of government spending.  "People are critical about government spending in the abstract until their communities suffer. And if you look at the communities that have suffered by Hurricane Helene, they're Democratic and Republican," Kaine said.  The funding could be included in the larger spending package Congress is working on. They plan to pass that by December 20th, when government funding expires.  Whether it is or not, Senator Kaine says he will push to move the disaster aid money quickly.  "We definitely need to get this done within the next few weeks," Kaine said.  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he received the request but hasn't set up any timeline to address it.