The American Red Cross, facing a $200-million deficit, requested $7-million in federal support to help it pay for the employees it needs to respond to disasters, reports The New York Times.

The group — which normally relies on private donations, not federal money — made its request at a Congressional hearing on Thursday.

The Red Cross, under the National Response Framework, must have an employee at the 10 regional offices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “While these positions bring value to the community’s response, they were not sustainable under our current budget guidance,” said Joseph Becker, Red Cross senior vice president for disaster services, in written testimony for the hearing.

The organization is laying off 1,000 people at its Washington, D.C., headquarters, which constitutes about one-third of the staff members there. It is also reducing staff sizes elsewhere.

The Red Cross attributed its current financial difficulties to a lack of recent major disasters, which spur financial support from donors. While the group has accepted federal money before, this is the first time it has requested money dedicated for a federally mandated task.

(Free registration is required to view this article.)