Vice Chairman Leahy And Leader Schumer Introduce Path Forward For Disaster Supplemental – New Amendment Provides New Funding For Midwestern Disasters & Restores Certain Funding For Puerto Rico, Other Territories

Washington D.C. (Tuesday, April 2, 2019) – Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Tuesday introduced a substitute to the emergency disaster supplemental to provide a path forward to resolving the current impasse on the disaster funding bill. The Leahy-Schumer amendment totals $16.7 billion and includes $2.5 billion in new funding for disaster stricken communities in the Southeast and Midwest and restores certain funding for Puerto Rico and other territories.

On March 4, Leahy made a compromise offer to Senate Republicans on a path forward.  Regrettably, Republicans rejected that offer.  The Leahy-Schumer amendment is a renewed effort by Senate Democrats to reach a bipartisan agreement on the disaster supplemental. 

Leahy and Schumer said: “We cannot pick and choose which American citizens to help in times of crisis.  Democrats are ready to stand with all American communities affected by recent natural disasters.  We hope Republican leadership will stand with us in this effort.”

The amendment accommodates the needs of the American citizens of Puerto Rico by including increased funding for Community Development Block Grants and grants to help rebuild damaged water systems.  It also provides Medicaid funding for other territories and mandates that the Department of Housing and Urban Development speed up the release of billions in Community Development Block Grant funding the Trump administration has been unnecessarily withholding from disaster stricken communities.

Amendment text available HERE.

One pager available HERE.

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