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Following Senate passage of the legislation last Thursday by a
vote of 85-8, House Democratic leaders had hoped to win quick,
unanimous approval of the bill on a voice vote and send it to
Trump for his expected signature.
But with most lawmakers out of town for a recess until June 4,
individual House Republicans have been able to block passage
twice - once last Friday and again on Tuesday - by demanding an
official roll call vote. Such action would have to wait until
the full House returns to work next week.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Democrats will try again
to pass the bill on a voice vote Thursday. If that does not
work, Hoyer predicted the measure will pass "overwhelmingly"
when the House returns next week. A national flood insurance
program, which the legislation would extend, expires this
Friday, Hoyer said.
For months, lawmakers have been haggling over the disaster aid
bill in response to hurricanes in the southeastern United
States, severe flooding in the Midwest, devastating wildfires in
California and other events.
The $19.1 billion in the bill is intended to help farmers cover
their crop losses and rebuild infrastructure hit by disasters,
including repairs to U.S. military bases.
On Tuesday Republican Representative Thomas Massie objected to
passage, saying there should be a roll-call vote on a bill of
such magnitude.
Massie, a Republican and Trump supporter, also told reporters he
opposed the bill because there was no plan to pay for the
disaster relief. He said he had not coordinated his objections
with House Republican leaders or the White House.
"Everybody wants to be a hero by coming in and writing checks
(for disaster aid). Those checks aren't backed up by anything.
We're borrowing the money for all of this," Massie said.
Congress regularly approves disaster aid bills without any cuts
to other programs. Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the
conservative Heritage Foundation, has urged Congress to plan for
disasters that occur every year instead of approving "emergency"
funds for them after the fact.
Last Friday, another Republican conservative, Representative
Chip Roy, objected to the bill, citing concerns that it did not
include the $4.5 billion Trump had requested to deal with a
surge of Central American immigrants on the U.S. southwestern
border with Mexico.
(Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; editing by Tim
Ahmann, Chizu Nomiyama and Leslie Adler)
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