After months of delays, the timeline for passage of a disaster aid package for communities impacted by recent disasters has been pushed back.
While the Senate approved the $19.1 billion disaster supplemental on May 23 by a vote of 85-8, the House was unable to pass the measure before the start of the Memorial Day congressional recess. A lone lawmaker – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) – threatened to oppose the measure, preventing it from moving forward quickly by unanimous consent. Although members are gone for recess, the House plans to vote on the bill again on May 28 during a “pro forma” session. The package would again have to pass by unanimous consent. If this vote is unsuccessful, the House will hold a roll call vote when they return June 3.
The bill would provide $2.431 billion in Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for areas impacted by disasters in 2017, 2018, and 2019, including $304 million to help Puerto Rico meet FEMA match requirements.
The bill also requires HUD to publish guidelines for CDBG-DR mitigation funds within 90 days. Although Congress approved the mitigation funds over 15 months ago, HUD has not made the funds available to impacted areas. Many advocates feared the mitigation funds had been held back because President Trump had stated that he did not want Puerto Rico to receive any additional resources.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) said the president has expressed support for the package and is expected to sign the legislation once he receives it.
Read the full bill at: https://bit.ly/2Wl1jio