Trump signs $36.5B aid bill

Budget boss says more requests may mean cuts in other areas

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure Thursday to refill disaster accounts, provide cash to Puerto Rico and bail out the federal flood insurance program.

The president signed the bill after the Senate sent him the measure earlier this week to help Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico after devastating hurricanes. The funding will also bolster Western states dealing with massive wildfires.

To date, Congress has approved more than $50 billion in disaster aid this fall, but more money will be needed as the states and Puerto Rico continue to assess damage from the storms.

The measure provides $18.7 billion to replenish Federal Emergency Management Agency accounts and $16 billion to allow the flood insurance program to keep paying claims.

Led by the Florida and Texas delegations, Congress will be pressed for additional funding to help homeowners without flood insurance rebuild, and to cover damage to water and navigation projects, crops, public buildings and infrastructure.

But White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said earlier this week the next request for disaster aid, expected to cost tens of billions of dollars, should be paired with cuts to other government programs.

The current measure would permit FEMA to allocate up to $5 billion to assist Puerto Rico’s central government and various municipalities dealing with a cash crisis.

Hurricane Maria has largely shut down Puerto Rico’s economy and about 75 percent of the U.S. territory remains without power.