Dan Coats: “I want to respond to some of the statements that have been made by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle…”

“I want to respond to some of the statements that have been made by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle regarding the need to add disaster relief to the Continuing Resolution we will consider this week. There is no question that there is a need for some emergency supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2011 disaster relief. There is agreement on both sides of the aisle that FEMA is short of money to meet its immediate needs in this fiscal year which expires at midnight on September 30. The Disaster Relief Fund is dangerously low, and on September 9 the President requested $500 million in emergency appropriations to finish out the immediate needs between now and the end of this fiscal year, which is just a little more than 1 week away, and that has been provided and taken care of. The House is working on sending the Senate a continuing resolution that includes this emergency funding and more--more than the President's $500 million request. The House CR is expected to include $774 million for FEMA--the Federal Emergency Management Agency--plus an additional $226 million for the Army Corps of Engineers for emergency flood control. This emergency funding is not covered by the Budget Control Act, so in accordance with procedures that have been put in place this year and in trying to be as careful with taxpayers' money as we can, the House offered an offset. That was defeated yesterday in the House.…”