Massive disaster relief bill stalls in Senate over Puerto Rico dispute

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

A massive emergency aid bill for victims of hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other natural disasters was defeated in the Senate on Monday amid a fight between Democrats and President Trump over relief for Puerto Rico.

Senate Democrats opposed the $13.45 billion legislation, contending the $600 million included for Puerto Rico’s food stamp program is inadequate to meet the U.S. territory’s needs as it attempts to recover from Hurricane Maria. The Democrats are embracing a House-passed relief bill containing hundreds of millions of dollars more for Puerto Rico than the GOP version the Senate is voting on Monday.

But Trump opposes sending any additional aid to Puerto Rico apart from the food stamp money, funding Republicans convinced him to accept as the price for passing the long-pending disaster bill.

The vote was 44 in favor and 49 against; 60 votes would have been needed for the legislation to advance.It’s unclear how Congress and the administration will move forward to revive it, an impasse that risks indefinitely delaying disaster funding nationwide amid partisan sniping.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/massive-disaster-relief-bill-faces-likely-defeat-in-senate-over-puerto-rico-dispute/2019/04/01/957330c6-54a7-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html

[bluestarone]

1. RETHUGS in the senate have chosen to support RUSSIA

That's about as clear a statement i can come up with!!

[sheshe2]

2. How much have we paid so trump could putter/waddle around his golf courses?

I know I read it here today, yet to lazy to look for it.

Thanks.

[htuttle]

3. About $95,000,000 according to the Government Accounting Office numbers

https://trumpgolfcount.com/

[sheshe2]

4. Thank you.

And we need to cut social programs.

[Cryptoad]

5. Ole Turtle head is loading up a new Nuke

to drop in the Senate..... just takes 49 votes to pass a bill.

[bluestarone]

8. That will bite him in the ass someday, if he does this

BUT i bet he does it anyhow.

[Cold War Spook]

12. What good will that do him?

It wont pass the House without more money for Puerto Rico.

[Capt. America]

6. Time for PR to either become a state or become independent.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Well...

they keep having a referendum vote every so often and they keep voting to remain in their current "commonwealth" status. The issue with becoming a state would be the almost-certain GOP thwarting of something like that (just like what has happened with D.C.). As an independent nation, there would be all sorts of major planning that would have to happen, along the lines of what is going on in the UK with Brexit.

[Capt. America]

9. Maybe this latest funding crisis will change their minds.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Yeah but now

is when they really need immediate money to get their infrastructure back up and being "independent" would require getting trade agreements in place to replace any money lost from severing current commerce with the U.S. and finance what would be equivalent to the current federal presence there... And the statehood thing would most likely be ditched by the GOP.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Because the dotard hate PR