Disaster aid clears House

On Monday the House finally approved the disaster aid package that had been blocked on three different occasions in the last few days. The disaster relief package provides $3 billion in critical disaster relief funding for farmers recovering from Hurricane Michael. This legislation passed the U.S. Senate last month and is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

9^th District Congressman Doug Collins issued the following statement:

“While I am glad farmers in South Georgia will finally receive the critical funding needed to begin to rebuild their lives, it is absolutely unacceptable it has taken Congress this long to pass disaster relief. Hurricane Michael completely devastated millions of families, countless businesses and multiple military bases throughout the southeast, and it’s sad that partisan politics got in the way of providing quick relief to those in desperate need of help.”

Senator David Perdue writing an op-ed for The Hill expressed these thoughts:

“Finally, the U.S. Senate and House are sending a bipartisan disaster relief package to President Trump’s desk. This is a huge win for Americans who were devastated by floods, wildfires, and historic hurricanes across 12 states, Puerto Rico, and the Mariana Islands. However, the fact that it took 237 days for Congress to pass a disaster relief bill after Hurricane Michael is beyond embarrassing. Going forward, Congress must leave politics out of disaster relief and move swiftly to provide assistance in a timely manner. When disaster strikes, time is of the essence, and the American people need to know we have their backs.”