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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 11 May 2019

House passes $19B

disaster aid bill over

Trump opposition

By ANDREW TAYLOR ate amid a fight between
Associated Press President Donald Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The and Democrats over aid
House on Friday passed to Puerto Rico. Trump is
a $19 billion disaster aid feuding with Democratic
bill that would deliver officials on the island and
long-sought relief to farm- falsely claims that Puerto
ers, victims of hurricanes Rico has already received
and floods, and rebuild $91 billion in aid.
southern military bases, as Trump took to Twitter on
Democrats try to dislodge Thursday to urge Repub-
the legislation from a Sen- licans to vote against the
ate logjam over aid to bill.
hurricane-slammed Puerto “House Republicans should
Rico. not vote for the BAD DEM-
The measure passed by a OCRAT Disaster Supple-
257-150 vote over the op- mental Bill which hurts our
position of most Republi- States, Farmers & Border This June 18, 2018, file photo shows an aerial view of the Amelia neighborhood in the municipality
cans, who said it should Security,” Trump tweeted. of Catano, east of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
also include the Trump “We want to do much Associated Press
administration’s $4.5 billion better than this. All sides great States and Farmers. And as it sat there, floods Republicans want to add
request for stepped up hu- keep working and send a Thank you to all. Get me a battered the Midwest Trump’s border request to
manitarian aid and law en- good BILL for immediate Bill that I can quickly sign!” and tornadoes swept the the measure.
forcement along the U.S.- signing!”After the vote, Some of the Republicans South,” said House Appro- “We should provide much
Mexico border, which is Trump tweeted in praise of who broke with Trump were priations Committee Chair- needed relief to communi-
facing a wave of migrants GOP solidarity, although 34 from areas hit by the disas- woman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. ties recovering from hurri-
fleeing violence in Central Republicans broke with his ters, like Texas and Florida, “This legislation attempts canes, floods, wildfires and
America. position and supported the and others were more to meet the needs of all of tornadoes. But we cannot
The House had passed an disaster aid. “Great Repub- moderate Republicans America’s disaster-stricken turn our backs on a border
earlier $14 billion version lican vote today on Disas- from the Northeast. communities — whether in crisis that is growing worse
of the measure in Janu- ter Relief Bill. We will now Disaster aid measures are Puerto Rico or the Midwest, by the day,” said top Ap-
ary, but the legislation has work out a bipartisan solu- usually among the few re- California or the Carolinas.” propriations Committee
been held up in the Sen- tion that gets relief for our liably bipartisan pieces of Republicans on Thursday Republican Kay Granger
legislation left in an increas- delivered a new offer to of Texas. “Law enforce-
ingly partisan Washington. Democrats in hopes of fi- ment and humanitarian re-
But the pending measure nally breaking the legisla- lief organizations are being
faces several obstacles in tion free, adding money for pushed to the limit, and we
addition to the battle over Puerto Rico and flooded must act now.”
Puerto Rico, including an Midwestern states. Law- Democrats have resisted
attempt by powerful Sen- makers had hoped to have the idea of merging the
ate Appropriations Com- the legislation enacted into border and disaster mea-
mittee Chairman Richard law by now but are now sures, saying that would
Shelby, R-Ala., to boost eying Memorial Day as an delay the aid measure and
Army Corps of Engineers informal deadline. complicate its passage.
harbor dredging efforts, of “I’ve spoken to the presi- House Speaker Nancy Pe-
which the Port of Mobile in dent. I’ve spoken to the losi, D-Calif., however, said
his state would be a major leader on the Senate side. in a brief interview that
beneficiary. Shelby’s rela- I believe we can solve this “there may be some piec-
tionship with White House all by next week,” said top es” of Trump’s border re-
Acting Chief of Staff Mick House Republican Kevin quest that could be added
Mulvaney also appears McCarthy of California. to the disaster aid measure
strained. “Let’s do this together. Let’s in endgame negotiations.
Since the House measure show America that when it “We’ll see.”
originally passed, Midwest- comes to a time of need Friday’s measure originally
ern floods have added bil- that we all put partisanship added $3 billion to the ear-
lions of dollars to the gov- aside.” lier House bill to help Mid-
ernment’s roster of disaster Democrats regard the offer west states such as Iowa
needs, while a rising wave in a positive light. and Nebraska recover
of Central American mi- “The Republicans are fi- from this spring’s floods —
grants seeking refuge from nally starting to realize they but then was successfully
violence in their countries can’t leave Puerto Rico amended on the floor nu-
is requiring additional bil- behind, and that’s a step in merous times by lawmakers
lions of dollars to house the right direction,” said a in both parties, who added
and care for thousands of spokesman for top Senate $1.9 billion to the measure,
migrants. Democrat Chuck Schumer chiefly to rebuild military
“The bill languished for of New York. “Conversa- bases in Nebraska and Flor-
months in the Senate over tions continue.” ida and deliver more flood
assistance for Puerto Rico. The White House and some aid for the Midwest.q