Making $81 Billion in Additional Disaster Relief Funding Available (H.R. 4667)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 4667?
(Updated October 6, 2019)
This bill would provide a total of $81 billion in emergency spending for programs and activities to respond to recent hurricanes, wildfires, and other designated disasters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would receive $27.6 billion for disaster response and recovery efforts. Up to $4 billion in funding could be transferred to the Disaster Assistance Direct Loan Program Account for Community Disaster Loans. The federal cost share for disasters declared in 2017 for wildfires would be up to 90 percent.
A total of $26.1 billion would be provided for the Community Development Block Grants-Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR) for housing, business, infrastructure, and mitigation needs for communities affected by disaster in 2017 and prior years. Of this, $13.6 billion in grants would go to states, tribes, and territories for recovery efforts which grants flexibility to suit local needs. The remaining $12.5 billion would be set aside for mitigation projects to help communities protect against future natural disasters and to protect the taxpayer from recurring costs of rebuilding after storms.
The Army Corps of Engineers would receive $12.1 billion for repairs needed due to natural disasters and to expedite studies and projects aimed at reducing damages in future disasters in areas recently affected by hurricanes. This includes:
$10.5 billion in repairs to ongoing construction projects, and to expedite projects that will help mitigate future disaster damage;
$608 million for operation and maintenance to repair damages, such as dredging of navigation channels;
$537 million for flood control and coastal emergencies to repair damages;
$370 million to repair damages along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
The Dept.of Agriculture would receive $3.8 billion in assistance for disaster recovery from hurricanes, wildfires, and crop loss. Of this, $2.6 billion would be for disaster assistance, such as crop and livestock losses.
A total of $2.9 billion would be provided for hurricane education recovery to help restart operations in schools in affected areas, along with rebuilding, refurbishing, and replacing educational materials. This funding will also provide support to states and localities that accommodate displaced students from K-12, college and technical schools from affected areas.
The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program would receive $1.6 billion, which would allow it to make up to $12.2 billion in disaster loans to small businesses and homeowners in all affected areas for recovery and rebuilding.
A total of $1.5 billion would be provided to repair military facilities and repair or replace equipment damaged. Another $1.4 billion would go to addressing all damages to federal highways caused by designated disasters which would be provided to states and localities.
Argument in favor
2017 was a year with a significant number of natural disasters that occurred in the U.S., and Congress needs to approve this relief package so communities can recover.
Argument opposed
While there is a clear need for some form of relief in the aftermath of 2017's natural disasters, Congress should spend $81 billion without finding a way to pay for it.
Impact
People in areas that would receive disaster relief; state and local governments; relevant federal agencies; and Congress.
Cost of H.R. 4667
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) introduced this bill to provide additional emergency assistance for recent hurricanes, wildfires, and related agricultural losses:
“This legislation is the next step in helping our fellow Americans recover from multiple, back-to-back, devastating disasters, including some of the largest major hurricanes, wildfires, and agricultural losses this country has ever seen. We have a commitment to our fellow citizens that are in the midst of major rebuilding efforts in all areas, including Texas, Florida, California, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They deserve our continued support, and we must provide the necessary resources for them to recover from these emergencies. This funding is critical to victims devastated by theses disasters.”
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
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