After Months Of Back-And-Forth, Congress Sends $19.1 Billion Disaster Aid Legislation To President
The bill provides funds for relief efforts in areas across the country hit by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The Senate voted on it last month, but it got held up in the House, which passed the legislation 354-58 yesterday.
The Wall Street Journal:
House Passes $19.1 Billion Disaster-Aid Package
The House passed a $19.1 billion disaster-aid package with a bipartisan majority, sending the legislation to the president’s desk after months of wrangling delayed the typically uncontroversial funding. Lawmakers voted 354-58 to approve the measure, exceeding the two-thirds threshold required under a fast-track procedure. Those who opposed the measure were all Republicans. (Duehren, 6/3)
NPR:
House Approves $19 Billion Disaster Relief Bill, Sending It To Trump
President Trump has said he backed the measure, even though it did not include border money he urged Congress to add. He said he would continue pressing for that as part of separate legislation. With Trump's signature, the legislation would help speed relief funds to communities hit by tornadoes, wildfires, volcanoes, drought, flooding and other disasters. It also includes money for Puerto Rico, which is still rebuilding after 2017 hurricanes devastated significant portions of the island. (Snell, 6/3)
The New York Times:
Congress Gives Final Approval To Long-Delayed Disaster Aid
Across both chambers, there was widespread relief that the House had finally passed the measure, capping off one of the most laborious approval processes for emergency relief in recent memory. The package, which was left off legislation that ended the country’s longest shutdown earlier this year, was stymied for months as lawmakers squabbled over how much money to allocate to Puerto Rico’s hurricane recovery over the president’s opposition. Democrats in both chambers were adamant that the commonwealth, which does not have voting representation in Congress, needed more money. (Cochrane, 6/3)
CNN:
House Passes Disaster Relief Bill, Sending It To White House For Trump's Signature
Democrats and Republicans argued back and forth for weeks over how much aid to allocate to Puerto Rico. As negotiations dragged on, Democrats argued that Republicans were short-changing the US territory, which is still rebuilding from Hurricane Maria. Trump, meanwhile, accused Democrats of blocking the bill from moving forward over aid to Puerto Rico and argued publicly that the territory had mishandled relief funds. Negotiations were further complicated over the question of whether to include funding to address the humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexico border. (Foran, 6/3)
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Grassley, Wyden Aim For Bipartisan Drug Cost Package This Month
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