Congress OKs $19B for victims of disaster

Published 2:18 am Tuesday, June 4, 2019

A $19 billion disaster relief bill that would provide relief to Americans recovering from devastating floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, goes to the president for his signature after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a Senate amendment to the bill on Monday.

A summary of the bill written by the office of Sen. Pat Leahy, the top Democrat on the Appropriations committee, said the deal included more than $3 billion to “repair damaged infrastructure” and to “reduce the risk” of floods and hurricanes in the future, about $3 billion to “rebuild our military bases and Coast Guard facilities,” $3 billion to support farmers, $2.4 billion for Community Development Block Grants to “rebuild and mitigate future disaster,” $605 million for food benefits to Puerto Rico and an additional $304 million in aid to Puerto Rico.

That includes aid for those in Northwest Florida, Southeast Alabama, and Southwest Georgia.

After the vote, U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, said, “For eight long months, farmers in the Wiregrass and throughout the Southeast have waited for disaster relief aid after Hurricane Michael devastated the region last October. I am very proud that Congress has at last delivered this long-overdue assistance, and I am eager to see President Trump sign this bill into law to finally help the many Americans who have suffered extreme devastation in the wake of natural disasters across the country.”

The Senate Amendment to H.R. 2157 passed the House by a vote of 354-58. It now awaits further action by the White House.