Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced Jan. 4 a bill to provide relief for Americans affected by hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and other natural disasters.
The bill would authorize $12.1 billion in emergency spending, including $3.0 billion for infrastructure and economic and community development, $2.5 billion for resiliency funding to mitigate damage from future disasters that are accelerating in number due to climate change, $1.9 billion in assistance to farmers and rural communities, and $1.5 billion for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to repair and reconstruct damaged facilities. It also includes $720 million to repay non-fire accounts for wildland fire activities, $662 million for nutrition and Medicaid assistance to Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas, Guam, and American Samoa, and $555 million for social services, mental health, education, and dislocated worker activities.
“House Democrats are committed to ensuring that American families and communities have the resources they need to recover from recent natural disasters,” Lowey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said. “This legislation is the first step to meeting these urgent needs and helping our fellow Americans get back on their feet after these recent tragedies. I am also pleased that includes important funding to strengthen resiliency against future disasters, especially those that are being made more frequent by climate change.”