Updated at 3:45 p.m. with a statement from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

WASHINGTON -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a host of bipartisan congressional lawmakers are slamming the new $44 billion White House disaster relief aid request as "inadequate."

The request -- submitted Friday to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget -- is President Donald Trump's third since Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit the Gulf Coast and Caribbean. It would bring the total appropriated for hurricane relief this fall close to $100 billion, but it falls well short of the demands made by officials from Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

At a news conference, Abbott said he's still reviewing the White House request but that it appears to be "completely inadequate." What's more, Abbott said, it "does not live up" to what Trump has pledged in recovery aid, and he complained that Washington worked faster for victims of Superstorm Sandy than for Harvey.

"The president has told me privately what he said publicly, and that is he wants to be the builder president. The president has said he wants this to be the best recovery from a disaster ever," Abbott said a news conference in which he announced a $5 billion Harvey-related grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"Hopefully, this is only one of multiple steps along the pathway," Abbott added of the latest aid request.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican, similarly dismissed the request as "wholly inadequate," while a host of other Texas lawmakers blasted it as insufficient. Even Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, are criticizing the measure as measly.

After reviewing the latest Office of Management and Budget (OMB) supplemental request for disaster recovery, my #TX colleagues and I find the proposal insufficient and unacceptable. https://t.co/QrwIV39ePz — Michael McCaul (@RepMcCaul) November 17, 2017

In the latest request, the White House is asking for roughly $25 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration’s disaster relief coffers; $4.6 billion to repair federal property and smaller amounts in agricultural and education aid.

It would also establish a new $12 billion grant program for flood risk mitigation projects. States and territories that have had more than one flood-related major disaster in the past four years can compete for those dollars, according to the budget office.

It’s unclear how much Texas would see in direct aid as part of the new measure, which falls well short of the nearly $61 billion wish list that Abbott submitted to federal authorities last month.

But much of Abbott’s 300-page request entailed ambitious long-term flood control projects, instead of just restoring what was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. That puts lawmakers in a political and financial bind as they grapple with competing, immediate needs from states and territories slammed by hurricanes and wildfires.

“Some of those things in his plan will take years to achieve, and he acknowledges that, his staff acknowledges that as well,” a senior White House official told reporters on a Friday morning conference call. “There will be a continued commitment to that through the regular budget process.”

The official also said the administration has already committed to another aid request, though a timeline is uncertain.

Defense mode

With criticism pouring in, the White House was in full defense mode by Friday afternoon.

"I don't think $44 billion is a low amount. And my guess is if you ask any average citizen across this country, they wouldn't feel like it's low either," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. "Texas has not put any state dollars into this process. We feel strongly that they should step up and play a role and work with the federal government in this process."

The governor's office did not directly respond to her remarks but pointed to data indicating the state has already spent or is obligated to spend more than $1 billion as a result of Harvey devastation. For example, state agencies have incurred more than $436 million in costs, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Texas delegation

In a letter obtained by The Dallas Morning News, the Texas delegation wrote to budget director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday to ask him to give "careful and full consideration" to requests from Abbott and the Commission to Rebuild Texas.

Lawmakers did not specify a dollar figure but acknowledged the state's request included emergency relief and long-term projects, which are typically handled through a separate appropriations process.

Houston Rep. John Culberson, a Republican and appropriations committee member, was clearly disappointed by the result. Culberson said in a statement that the $44 billion request shows a "complete lack of understanding of the fundamental needs of Texans" and called it a "nightmare" for Harvey survivors.

"Thankfully, Congress funds the government -- not OMB. I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to fix this," he said.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz struck a more measured tone, saying the administration must "keep its repeated commitments" to Texas.

"I will carefully review OMB's latest supplemental funding request, including its justifications for the proposed spending amounts," he said in a statement. "However, the constitutional responsibility to appropriate funding resides with Congress, and I will continue to work closely with the entire Texas delegation to ensure our great state has the resources it needs to rebuild and come back stronger than ever."

Under pressure

The measure arrives as lawmakers and the White House face numerous budget-related issues by year's end, including a deadline of Dec. 8 to avert a government shutdown. Congress is also hoping to pass its overhaul of the tax code in short order.

Cornyn has expressed worry the aid request could be rolled into a politically perilous omnibus spending bill, raising the risk lawmakers won't pass it.

The Texan remains in a standoff with the White House over the confirmation of a key budget official. Cornyn placed a hold on Russell Vought's Senate vote in a bid to get more Harvey relief dollars, a move that conservative groups have slammed as "obstructionist."

On Friday, Cornyn said he's still "not satisfied," telling reporters that he intends to speak with Mulvaney about the issue.

Bipartisan complaints

Texans aren't the only unhappy lawmakers.

Schumer, the New York Democrat, said it's "just not good enough" for areas hit by storms and "shortchanges" Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, in particular.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello has requested $94 billion for the devastated island territory, including $18 billion to rebuild the island's power grid and $31 billion for housing.

"It does not include sufficient funding for rebuilding and recovery, address the impending Medicaid funding crisis that the islands are facing, or provide waivers for cost share requirements that are sorely needed due to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island's financial challenges," Schumer said in a statement, vowing that Democrats will push for changes as the request winds its way through Congress.

Nelson, the Florida Democrat whose state has asked for $27 billion, said it "doesn't come close" to what's needed. Others called it an "insult."

Last month, Congress approved $36.5 billion in aid for storm-affected states, with Texas expected to receive $15 billion from the measure -- about $11 billion in anticipated flood claims and $4 billion in FEMA disaster relief.

In September, Congress approved a $15.3 billion disaster aid bill. It later approved a series of tax relief measures as part of a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization.

-- Washington bureau chief Todd J. Gillman, Austin staff writer Jackie Wang and The Associated Press contributed to this report.