Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took steps to block the addition of more amendments to a pricey disaster aid bill as Democrats call for more money.
Democrats say they will vote against the $13 billion dollar disaster aid bill unless Republicans add funding for Puerto Rico to help them rebuild after the 2017 hurricane. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby introduced a substitute amendment to the disaster aid package Thursday to help states in the South and Midwest that were hit with flooding and storms, Politico reported.
“The legislation we’re considering this week would help growers and producers with storm-related crop losses,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Thursday morning, in reference to the substitute amendment. “It would help local infrastructure — from roads to schools and hospitals — resume full operation. And it would help our nation’s military restore readiness at bases and installations that were caught in harm’s way.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a news conference following the confirmation vote of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on October 6, 2018. (Photo credit: JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP/Getty Images)
Nearly 3,000 people in Puerto Rico died from causes related to Hurricane Maria in 2017. The infrastructure on the island and communications systems were destroyed. Many residents lost power for months and several thousands lost their homes. (RELATED: Is Puerto Rico’s Death Toll From Hurricane Maria Even HIGHER Than We Thought?)
Despite the millions of dollars already given to Puerto Rico, many insist the island needs more to rebuild.
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