On a day when President Trump tweeted that federal relief for Puerto Rico can’t go on “forever,” the House approved a $36.5 billion spending bill for emergency hurricane and wildfire relief and recovery and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) pledged to support disaster victims “every step of the way.”
HR-2266 was introduced by Frelinghuysen, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who will tour hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico on Friday with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), according to CNN.
The spending measure passed the House by a 353-69 vote.
Frelinghuysen urged the Senate to approve the funding, requested by President Trump’s administration, “so these funds can be used immediately for those families and communities that need it most.”
Earlier on Thursday, Trump tweeted that he may pull federal relief workers out of Puerto Rico, a U.S. Commonwealth struggling to recover from last month’s Hurricane Maria.
“We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!” the President tweeted.
According to Frelinghuysen’s office, the bill includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund, $576.5 million for wildfire efforts, and $16 billion for debt relief for the National Flood Insurance Program, so it can make insurance claims payments to individuals.
The bill also includes a provision for the Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program to enable low-income residents in Puerto Rico to receive the same emergency nutrition assistance that other hurricane-affected states already receive.
Another $4.9 billion is for Community Disaster Loans, to help affected local governments continue funding police and fire protection, trash collection and school operations.
This is the second emergency appropriation since hurricanes slammed Texas and Florida in recent weeks. Frelinghuysen pledged more long-term relief.
“Millions of Americans have had their lives disrupted by destructive hurricanes and by raging wildfires in the West,” Frelinghuysen said in a statement. “We will continue to be with them every step of the way with federal support they will need throughout this recovery process.”
More funding is needed to help affected communities recover and rebuild from “massive, unprecedented damage,” the 12-term Congressman said. Thursday’s bill, if approved by the Senate will address “urgent, short-term, immediate priorities [for] fellow Americans in their time of greatest need.”
Congress “will work with the White House and state and local governments to ensure that assistance will be available” over what is sure to be a long process, Frelinghuysen said.
