Thursday, 12/10/2017 20:56 (GMT+7)
US House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee has approved an USD36.5 billion package to help Americans recover from hurricanes.
Storm Maria hits Puerto Rico (Photo: Reuters)
The bill includes USD7 billion more than the White House had sought last week, and nearly USD6 billion more for the Federal Emergency Management Agency than the administration's request.
The Committee's bill includes USD576.6 million for wildfire efforts, USD16 billion for the National Flood Insurance program and a provision enabling low-income Puerto Ricans to receive emergency nutrition assistance, said Jennifer Hing, spokeswoman for Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, the committee chairman.
On October 10th, U.S. President Donald Trump asked Congress for a loan of USD4.9 billion to help the cash-strapped Puerto Rican government pay urgent bills as the U.S. territory struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria, an administration official said.
In the past few weeks, the United States has been battered by a series of hurricanes in the Caribbean, Texas and Florida, and wildfires in California./.
Compiled by BTA