Washington: After months of negotiations and a week-long recess, the US House of Representatives on Monday cleared a USD 19.1 billion disaster relief bill aimed at providing funds to areas hit by earthquake, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfire.
The bill, which passed in the House by a 354-58 vote, would provide approximately USD 900 million for US’ unincorporated territory Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane Maria, reports Sputnik.
“When disaster strikes, we shouldn’t let a zip code dictate our response. And Americans across the country have been waiting far too long for the relief and recovery assistance they deserve,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey asserted before the vote.
The bill will now be sent to the White house for Trump’s signature. The US President has supported the legislation in the past and was quick to hail the passage of the bill in the House.
In a now-deleted tweet, Trump wrote, “House just passed the 19.1 Billion Dollar Disaster Aid Bill. Great, now we will get it done in the Senate! Farmers, Puerto Rico and all will be very happy.”
According to CNN, the bill was delayed as Democrats and Republicans argued back and forth for weeks over how much aid to allocate to Puerto Rico.
Trump’s opposition to sending more aid to Puerto Rico and his disagreements with their governor have both been public.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]