White House seeks $44B in storm aid
Texas Senator Cornyn blasts latest hurricane relief bill, calls it ‘wholly inadequate’
WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday sent Congress a $44 billion disaster aid request that’s already under attack from lawmakers from hurricane-hit regions as way too small.
The request, President Donald Trump’s third since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean, would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall close to $100 billion — and that’s before most of the money to rebuild Puerto Rico’s devastated housing stock and electric grid is added in.
The new installment would add $24 billion to the government’s chief disaster account and establish a $12 billion grant program for flood risk mitigation projects. Smaller amounts would go to small business loans and to aid farmers.
The request followed lobbying by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who pressed the White House for far more. There are sure to be attempts to add to the measure as it advances through the House and Senate.
“This request does not come close to what local officials say is needed,” said New York Rep. Nita Lowey, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
Even before the measure was delivered, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called it “wholly inadequate.” Cornyn worked in September to nearly double Trump’s initial request for Harvey aid and has been battling with the White House behind the scenes.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded, “I don’t think $44 billion is a low amount and my guess is if you asked any average citizen across this country they wouldn’t feel that it’s low either.”
She said Texas “should step up” and provide state money to the rebuilding efforts. But she said damage assessments in Puerto Rico hadn’t been completed yet and additional requests were expected.
The measure arrives as lawmakers and the White House face numerous budget-related issues by year’s end, including a deadline of Dec. 8 to avert a government shutdown. Top Capitol Hill leaders are also negotiating bipartisan spending increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies in hopes of passing a catchall government funding bill. They are also seeking to renew a popular program that provides health care to children from low-income families.
And there’s a tax bill that is Republicans’ top priority. GOP leaders have appeared wary of tackling other budget-related issues while the tax legislation was taking shape but time is running low and coming weeks are likely to bring a burst of activity. Talks on increasing tight “caps” on agency budgets have centered on a GOP plan for a two-year, $182 billion increase that still falls short of demands by both defense hawks and Democrats seeking more for domestic programs.
Rossello has requested $94 billion, including $18 billion to rebuild the island’s power grid.