Nita Lowey: “Last year, we watched hurricanes pummel Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas; wildfires burn large swaths of the West…”

“Last year, we watched hurricanes pummel Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas; wildfires burn large swaths of the West; and typhoons strike territories in the Pacific. In addition to the tragic loss of life, families lost everything, businesses were upended, and communities were ripped apart. That is why, in January, the House passed an emergency disaster relief bill, H.R. 268, to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild. Unfortunately, the bill languished for months in the Senate over assistance for Puerto Rico. As it sat there, floods battered the Midwest and tornadoes swept the South, resulting in even more destruction. And it sat there in the Senate. This legislation attempts to meet the needs of all of America's disaster-stricken communities, whether in Puerto Rico or the Midwest, California or the Carolinas, with $17.2 billion in emergency spending. In addition to the funding provided in H.R. 268, the bill makes three critical additions. It includes $1.5 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for repairs to Corps projects damaged by flooding and natural disasters. It provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery, with language ensuring it is spent quickly to help communities rebuild housing, businesses, and public infrastructure in the most impacted and distressed areas affected by major natural disasters.…”