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Black lawmakers pushing for more aid, attention to Virgin Islands
Source: USA Today
Black lawmakers pushing for more aid, attention to Virgin Islands
Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY Published 3:21 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2017 | Updated 3:57 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2017
WASHINGTON — Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing for a trip to the Virgin Islands to assess the damage there and draw attention to the plight of residents still struggling in the wake of two major hurricanes.
“We think it’s important for people not only who are on the ground to see the cavalry coming, but it’s important for us to go down and independently assess the needs of the people,’’ Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., chairman of the caucus, said Thursday before a House vote on a disaster aid bill.
The House approved a $36.5 billion disaster aid package that includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week when it’s back in session.
Caucus members supported the bill.
But Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat who represents the Virgin Islands and a caucus member, called the aid package “inadequate for the needs of the Virgin Islands, and I believe, inadequate for the needs of Puerto Rico and so many other areas.’’
-snip-
Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY Published 3:21 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2017 | Updated 3:57 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2017
WASHINGTON — Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing for a trip to the Virgin Islands to assess the damage there and draw attention to the plight of residents still struggling in the wake of two major hurricanes.
“We think it’s important for people not only who are on the ground to see the cavalry coming, but it’s important for us to go down and independently assess the needs of the people,’’ Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., chairman of the caucus, said Thursday before a House vote on a disaster aid bill.
The House approved a $36.5 billion disaster aid package that includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week when it’s back in session.
Caucus members supported the bill.
But Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat who represents the Virgin Islands and a caucus member, called the aid package “inadequate for the needs of the Virgin Islands, and I believe, inadequate for the needs of Puerto Rico and so many other areas.’’
-snip-
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/13/black-lawmakers-pushing-more-aid-attention-virgin-islands/761815001/