He’s now pushing for the Senate to do more for Texas and other storm-ravaged areas as it takes up the emergency spending bill later this week, he said.
Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, didn't elaborate what the changes to the bill could entail, saying that's "a work in progress as I speak." The measure could come up for a vote by Friday, he said.
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott slammed the Texas House delegation over the emergency bill, accusing the lawmakers of lacking a "stiff spine" in negotiations over the latest round of relief funding, which omitted his recent $18.7 billion request for Hurricane Harvey-specific aid. The House bill also bypassed a $27 billion request from Florida lawmakers.
Some GOP lawmakers — bewildered by the unusual attack from a fellow Republican and top state official — reached out to House Speaker Paul Ryan for help, while others shot back that Abbott’s office has yet to submit necessary documents for the state-specific request and chided him for popping off before reaching out to their offices.
Ryan pledged to take up the Texas request as soon as November, but many lawmakers argued the state would benefit from this emergency spending bill in the short term.
The measure, which all but six Texans voted to support, would replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s near-depleted coffers and forgive $16 billion in National Flood Insurance Program debt, enabling the federal program to pay flood claims.
Texas stands to receive $15 billion from the measure, about $11 billion in anticipated flood claims and $4 billion in FEMA disaster relief dollars, according to figures released last week by Reps. John Culberson, John Carter and Kay Granger, Republicans who sit on the House Appropriations Committee.
"Our top priority is to make sure money doesn't run out in the next few weeks for Texas homeowners eager to rebuild their homes, as well as communities counting on FEMA funding for temporary housing, debris removal and infrastructure repairs for roads and schools," the trio said in a written statement last week, pledging to work with Abbott on "long-term recovery needs for Texas" that could exceed $100 billion.
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