By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress has only a few weeks to advance an emergency funding bill to deal with the escalating humanitarian crisis at the southern border, creating a time crunch that has lawmakers on all sides alarmed.

Money to care for Central American migrants arriving in the U.S. to claim asylum runs out in just a few weeks, and every day seems to bring new evidence that the government's response is inadequate. President Donald Trump has asked Congress to provide an additional $4.5 billion.

But the request faces a challenging path, especially since Trump's trade battles with Mexico are also part of the equation, along with the distraction of a possible impeachment inquiry.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, a key Democrat, said the political situation is "like nothing we've ever dealt with before."

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.