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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 4 June 2019

$19B DISASTER BILL quickly to pass a bill that
Continued from Front addresses the surge of un-
But conservative Republi- accompanied children
cans in the House held up crossing the border and
the bill last week, objecting provides law enforcement
on three occasions to ef- agencies with the funding
forts by Democratic leaders they need," said top Ap-
to pass the bill by a voice propriations Committee
vote requiring unanimity. Republican Kay Granger of
They said the legislation — Texas. "The stakes are high.
which reflects an increas- There are serious — life or
ingly permissive attitude in death — repercussions if
Washington on spending to the Congress does not act."
address disasters that soon- The measure is largely the
er or later hit every region same as a version that
of the country — shouldn't passed the House last
be rushed through without month. Republicans op-
a recorded vote. posed it for leaving out the
Along the way, House and border funding. Emily Kientzel puts a cooler in her friend's boat as they prepare to take the boat out over floodwa-
Senate old-timers seemed Among the reasons was a ters from the Mississippi River to his home outside of Portage des Sioux, Mo., Sunday, June 2, 2019.
to outmaneuver the White demand by House liber- Associated Press
House, though Trump per- als to block the Homeland
sonally prevailed upon Sen- Security Department from nity rehabilitation projects, posed funding to mitigate for their part, held firm for
ate Appropriations Com- getting information from Army Corps of Engineers future disasters as part of what ended up as roughly
mittee Chairman Richard federal social welfare au- water and flood protec- rebuilding projects when $1.4 billion for Puerto Rico,
Shelby, R-Ala., to drop a thorities to help track im- tion projects, and rebuild- Superstorm Sandy fund- letting Trump feud with the
bid to free up billions of dol- migrants residing in the U.S. ing funds for several military ing passed in 2013, only to U.S. territory's Democratic
lars for dredging and other illegally who take migrant bases, including Offutt Air embrace it now that areas officials for weeks and de-
harbor projects. refugee children into their Force Base in Nebraska. such as suburban Hous- flecting political blame for
The measure was initially homes. As the measure Many Republicans op- ton need it. Democrats, stalling the bill.q
held up over a fight be- languished, disasters kept
tween Trump and Demo- coming — with failed le-
crats over aid to Puerto vees in Arkansas, Iowa and
Rico that seems long set- Missouri and tornadoes
tled. across Ohio just the most
"Some in our government recent examples. The mea-
refused to assist our fel- sure is supported by the bi-
low Americans in Puerto partisan party leadership in
Rico who are still recover- both House and Senate.
ing from a 2017 hurricane. The legislation is also being
I'm pleased we've moved driven by Florida and Geor-
past that," said House Ap- gia lawmakers steaming
propriations Committee with frustration over delays
Chairwoman Nita Lowey, in delivering help to farm-
D-N.Y. "Because when di- ers, towns and military bas-
saster strikes, we shouldn't es slammed by hurricanes
let a ZIP code dictate our last fall. Flooding in Iowa
response." The measure and Nebraska this spring
also faced delays amid added to the coalition be-
failed talks on Trump's $4 hind the measure, which
billion-plus request to care delivers much of its help to
for thousands of mostly regions where Trump sup-
Central American migrants porters dominate.
being held at the south- The bill started out as a
ern border. The sides nar- modest $7.8 billion measure
rowed their differences but passed in the last days of
couldn't reach agreement House GOP control. A $14
in the rush to go on recess, billion version advanced in
but everyone agrees that the Democrat-led cham-
another bill will be needed ber in January and bal-
almost immediately to refill looned to $19.1 billion by
nearly empty agency ac- the time it emerged from
counts to care for migrants. the floor last month, fed by
"We must work together new funding for commu-