10.12.17

Leahy Statement On Disaster Supplemental

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Thursday released the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives passage of emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to recent natural disasters:

“The House has taken an important step in providing relief to millions of United States citizens from recent disasters.  But this is just a step.  From the wildfires burning in California to the storms that crashed against Puerto Rico, 12 major disasters have been declared on U.S. soil since August.  The path to recovering from destruction of this magnitude is not measured in days.  It is measured in years, and it is measured in the full and unwavering support of the United States Government for all of the impacted communities.

“Congress must stand by these efforts to recover and rebuild for as long as it takes. We must rebuild to make our communities more resilient by investing in technology, conservation and infrastructure that will mitigate further damage in the future. 

“The Trump Administration has committed to putting forward a third comprehensive disaster package in the coming weeks.  As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I intend to hold the Administration to that commitment, regardless of what the President tweets.”

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CONTACT: Jay Tilton – 202-224-2667