The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:49 PM
President Trump Headed To Texas And Louisiana Today While Asking Congress For $14.5B In Immediate Aid
The president had reportedly urged Congress for roughly $7.9 billion, in the immediate aftermath of the storm, which hit the Texas Gulf Coast on Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane. However, he now plans to ask for as much as $14.5 billion, according to the New York Times.
Congress returns Tuesday from August recess, with assurances from Republican leaders of the GOP-controlled House and Senate that they will promptly start work on the president’s request.
“As families & communities begin long recovery from Hurricane Harvey, House will act quickly on @POTUS request for emergency relief funding,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., tweeted Friday evening.
And another top House Republican told Fox News within hours of Ryan's tweet that the chamber would begin such efforts when members return Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also vowed Friday to move fast on Trump’s request for federal assistance after Harvey, whose record 51-plus inches of rain flooded much of southwest Texas, including Corpus Christi, Houston and Beaumont.
“Working closely with the President and the House of Representatives, the Senate stands ready to act quickly to provide this much-needed assistance to those impacted communities, and support first responders and volunteers,” the Kentucky Republican said in a statement.
Congress didn’t approve funding for Hurricane Sandy until several months after the storm slammed the East Coast in October 2012, a delay that has been repeatedly revisited in the days after Harvey and one that Congress, particularly GOP members, appear eager to avoid this time.