Asa Hutchinson: “I share her concern that the existing backlog of emergency relief projects has not been adequately addressed under the…”

“I share her concern that the existing backlog of emergency relief projects has not been adequately addressed under the disaster assistance title of this bill. Indeed, my State of Texas is still waiting to receive at least $17.2 million from no fewer than seven separate disasters including floods, hurricanes and ice storms dating all the way back to the end of calendar year 2000. During our conversations leading up the final conference meeting on this bill, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Mr. Young of Florida, assured me that an agreement had been reached on this matter between himself, the Speaker of the House and our majority leader. Under that agreement, sufficient emergency funding will be provided in the final omnibus appropriations bill for this year to ensure that the existing backlog of projects will be fully compensated. I want to assure my friend from Washington that our mutual concern over this matter will be addressed fully in the final omnibus appropriations bill.”