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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 25 May 2019
GOP conservative temporarily blocks $19B disaster bill

By ANDREW TAYLOR san image for next year's
Associated Press campaign, were more cir-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A cumspect.
House GOP conservative "Right now the total dollar
blocked a long-overdue amounts are pretty close
$19 billion disaster aid bill Fri- on border security. Demo-
day, complaining it leaves crats and Republicans are
out money needed to ad- pretty much in agreement
dress the migrant crisis at about it," said Sen. David
the border and extending Perdue. "We're just trying
a tempest over hurricane to work out some detailed
and flood relief that has left language, but we didn't
the measure meandering think we could wait any
for months. longer to get this done."
The move came a day In fact, among the reasons
after the measure flew for the late-week break-
through the Senate de- down was a demand by
spite a Democratic power Hispanic forces and House
move to strip out President liberals such as Pelosi ally
Donald Trump's $4.5 billion Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.,
request for dealing with a to insist on a provision to
migrant crisis on the U.S.- tighten up existing lan-
Mexico border. guage that tries to block
Texas Rep. Chip Roy, a for- In this Jan. 3, 20-19, file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, poses during a ceremo- the Homeland Security
mer aide to Texas firebrand nial swearing-in with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, right, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Department from getting
Sen. Ted Cruz, complained Associated Press information from the De-
that it does not contain any partment of Health and Hu-
money to address increas- ing a session, like Friday's, The relief measure would North Carolina, and Iowa man Services to help track
ingly urgent border needs. that would otherwise be deliver money to Southern and Nebraska. Several mili- immigrants residing in the
"It is a bill that includes pro forma. If that doesn't states suffering from last tary facilities would receive U.S. illegally if they care for
nothing to address the in- succeed, a quick biparti- fall's hurricanes, Midwest- money to rebuild, includ- migrant refugee children
ternational emergency san vote would come af- ern states deluged with ing Camp Lejeune in North arriving in huge numbers at
and humanitarian crisis we ter Congress returns next springtime floods and fire- Carolina, Offutt Air Force the border.
face at our southern bor- month from its Memorial ravaged rural California, Base in Nebraska, and Tyn- All sides agree that another
der," Roy said. Day recess. among others. Puerto Rico dall Air Force Base in North- bill of more than $4 billion
He also objected to speed- Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., would also get help for west Florida. will be needed almost im-
ing the measure through said she was upset at Roy's hurricane recovery, end- Disaster aid bills are always mediately to refill nearly
a nearly empty chamber, action. "The fact that one ing a months-long dispute ultimately bipartisan, but empty agency accounts to
saying it was important for person from a state that between Trump and pow- this round bogged down. care for migrants, though
lawmakers to actually vote is directly affected could erful Democrats like Sen- And a late-week break- Democrats are fighting
on a bill that "spends a sig- object, it's just irrespon- ate Minority Leader Chuck down on the appropria- hard against the deten-
nificant amount of taxpay- sible," she said. Texas was Schumer. tions panel left important tion facilities requested by
er money." slammed by record floods Trump said Thursday that he must-do work for lawmak- Trump.
House Speaker Nancy Pe- in 2017, though not Roy's will enthusiastically sign the ers when Congress returns Trump rushed to try to claim
losi, D-Calif., a key force San Antonio-area district. bill, which delivers much- next month. credit, too, though his bud-
behind the measure which GOP leaders and Trump needed help to many ar- After months of fighting, get office never submitted
moved through the Sen- support the bill, as do some eas in the country where he Democrats bested Trump an official request for the
ate with the enthusiastic lawmakers who are oth- performs well with voters. and won further aid to disaster aid. But he talked
embrace of Roy's two GOP erwise some of the cham- The House drama came Puerto Rico, the U.S. terri- up the aid in a recent trip
senators, said the delays ber's staunchest conserva- less than 24 hours after the tory slammed by back-to- to the timber-rich Florida
have gone on too long. tives, such as Rep. Austin Senate passed the bill by back hurricanes in 2017. Panhandle, his best region
Senate action came after Scott, R-Ga. a sweeping 85-8 vote that Talks over Trump's border in a state without which it's
Trump surrendered in his "This is a rotten thing to do. represented a brush-back request broke down over virtually impossible for him
fight with powerful Demo- This is going to pass," said pitch by a chamber weary conditions Democrats to win reelection.
crats over aid to hurricane- Rules Committee Chairman of Trump's theatrics and wanted to place on money "Well, we're going to get
ravaged Puerto Rico. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. where some members are to provide care and shelter the immigration money
"Now, after the President Hours after Roy blocked the increasingly showing impa- for asylum-seeking Central later, according to every-
and Senate Republicans measure, the Democratic tience with the lack of leg- American migrants. Talks body," Trump said. "I have
disrupted and delayed di- Congressional Campaign islative action. were closely held and the to take care of my farmers
saster relief for more than Committee launched a Trump said he favored the opaque process some- with the disaster relief."q
four months, House Repub- digital ad in his district criti- bill even though $4 billion- times left even veteran law-
licans have decided to cizing his move. It depicted plus to deal with the hu- makers in the dark.
wage their own sabotage," a submerged Roy and said manitarian crisis involving Senate Majority Leader
Pelosi said. "Every day of he's "keeping Texas families Central American migrants Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
Republican obstruction, underwater." border has been removed. accused Democrats of in-
more disasters have struck, Roy won his 2018 election "I didn't want to hold that sisting on "poison pills" that
more damage has piled by less than three percent- up any longer," Trump said. made the talks collapse.
up and more families have age points. House Demo- "I totally support it." But his office wouldn't go
been left in the cold." crats' campaign commit- Much of the money would on the record to specify
Democrats said the House tee considers him a prime go to Trump strongholds what they were. Other Re-
might try to again pass the target for next year's elec- such as the Florida Pan- publicans, especially those
measure next week dur- tions. handle, rural Georgia and trying to project a biparti-