Senators have been pressuring congressional leadership to prioritize passing a robust disaster supplemental funding bill. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) led nine other Democratic senators on a letter dated February 28 urging congressional leadership to quickly pass a disaster relief package that includes relief for all states, territories, and tribal nations impacted by the 2018 disasters, as well as continued assistance for Puerto Rico. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) sent an additional letter to congressional leaders on March 1 related to disaster-related funding needs in Puerto Rico, including $610 million for the Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico (NAP) program and other infrastructure, education, and housing programs.
The timing of a disaster supplemental bill is unclear, although Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) said on March 5 that he would like to pass something before the congressional recess scheduled for the week of March 17. He also announced that his committee is working on a new package that will differ from both a bipartisan Senate bill (S. 572) introduced at the end of February and a $14.2 billion proposal (H.R. 268) that passed the House in January.
Read the letter led by Senators Hirono and Harris at: https://bit.ly/2EUky8O
Read the letter on assistance for Puerto Rico at: https://bit.ly/2H6hHvV
Read the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition’s priorities for any disaster recovery package at: https://bit.ly/2K8Mp6b