House to vote on $7.9B Harvey relief bill

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

House to vote on $7.9B Harvey relief bill

By ANDREW TAYLOR
54 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — With federal disaster reserves running out, the House is swiftly moving to pass President Donald Trump’s request for a $7.9 billion first installment of relief for victims of Harvey.

GOP leaders also hope to use the urgent Harvey aid bill to solve a far more vexing issue: Increasing the U.S. debt limit to permit the government to borrow freely again to cover its bills.

Wednesday morning’s vote comes as the government’s response to Harvey is draining existing disaster reserves, with Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster accounts hovering at $1 billion or less. FEMA is warning lawmakers that disaster funds run out on Friday, even as a much more powerful hurricane, Irma, is bearing down on the eastern U.S.

This week’s measure is to handle the immediate emergency needs and replenish reserves in advance of Irma. Far more money will be needed once more complete estimates are in this fall, and Harvey could end up exceeding the $110 billion government cost of Hurricane Katrina.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/33b224b0da564022ac71ffced54add50/House-to-vote-on-$7.9B-Harvey-relief-bill

[procon]

1. This is chicken feed;according to preliminary estimates its up to $190 billion.

The total costs aren't in yet, but $7.9 will get burned through in a few weeks, and then what? Those damn Republicans will start to balk, they won't want to appropriate more money and it will come in smaller chunks after messy battles. Oh sure, Republicans will always find money for their wars, and walls and more goodies for the wealthy, but when it comes time to real people it's a different story.

Remember how Republicans held back Katrina aid, and Sandy, so don't expect Harvey to go any differently than the past disasters. And now with Irma bearing down on Florida, even more money is going to be needed. What will the Republicans do next, will they give up their pet projects to pay for natural disaster damages?

No, but they will sock to us and demand that we give up our SS and Medicare benefits, our healthcare, education, immigration reforms, and our infrastructure needs, so they get to keep their cake and eat it too.