Pelosi Rips House Republicans For Sabotaging Disaster Relief Bill

Speaker Pelosi ripped House Republicans for their last-second sabotage of a bipartisan disaster relief bill before Congress leaves for Memorial Day recess.

Pelosi said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

House Republicans’ last-minute sabotage of an overwhelmingly bipartisan disaster relief bill is an act of staggering political cynicism. Countless American families hit by devastating natural disasters across the country will now be denied the relief they urgently need.

Our Democratic House passed two strong disaster relief bills this year to provide help and healing to families hit by floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. Now, after the President and Senate Republicans disrupted and delayed disaster relief for more than four months, House Republicans have decided to wage their own sabotage. Every day of Republican obstruction, more disasters have struck, more damage has piled up and more families have been left in the cold.

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Every House Republican needs to answer to the American people why they are standing in the way of urgently needed disaster relief for families struggling to heal and recover.

The disaster relief bill is non-controversial. The Senate passed it 85-9. Trump has agreed to sign it. All that the House had to do was pass it by unanimous consent voice vote, and the legislation would be on Trump’s desk to sign today.
At the last second, Republicans announced that they would be blocking the unanimous consent resolution and requiring a full House vote after the Memorial Day recess. Wildfire victims in California, flood victims in the Midwest, and hurricane victims in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico will see their federal disaster relief funds delayed as part of a cynical political game.

The blocking of disaster relief funds is a reminder to voters everywhere of why they gave House Republicans the boot in 2018. House Republicans have no interest in governing and even less interest in helping people.

Americans are hurting and struggling while Republicans play games in the hope of winning back the House majority in 2020.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association