On the recordMay 9, 2019
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today, we are considering a bill that appropriates a little over $17 billion for disasters affecting all parts of the United States. As Members of Congress, we are elected to serve the people, and part of that duty is providing emergency aid when disaster strikes. I am supportive of disaster relief, and we certainly could have provided this crucial aid months ago. At this time, our communities are still in need. This is the third time that the House will consider a relief bill to address the same set of disasters. On 20 December 2018, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through February 8 that also included almost $8 billion of disaster relief funding, but this bill did not become law. On January 16, 2019, the House passed a supplemental appropriations package that would have provided a little over $12 billion in aid. But at the last minute, during Rules Committee debate, Democrats added a short-term, full-government continuing resolution through a manager's amendment that did not include President Trump's request for border security funding. As a result, the government remained closed without providing a resolution to the problem.…
