President Trump on Friday signed a $15.25 billion disaster relief bill that also includes a three-month extension of both federal government funding and borrowing authority, a move that ends the threat of a partial government shutdown at the end of the month.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced that Trump signed H.R. 601 on Twitter.
.@POTUS just signed H.R. 601 providing much needed support for storm survivors. Our thoughts and prayers are with all impacted.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 8, 2017
Earlier in the day the House passed the bill, which breezed through the Senate on Thursday.
Trump’s signature comes amid conservative Republican complaints that Congress is once again expanding the government’s borrowing authority without any commitments to offset spending.
“The President appreciates Congress putting aside partisan politics and acting quickly to ensure that first responders, local officials, and Federal emergency management personnel have the resources they need to respond to the natural disasters impacting our Nation,” the White House said in a statement Thursday evening. “H.R. 601 provides an additional $15.25 billion in emergency appropriations for disaster relief and extends the authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program through December 8th, a welcome action for all of those affected by these terrible disasters.”
“Additionally, as the damage from Hurricane Irma unfolds, it is especially important that the men and women in the Southeast and our Caribbean territories stand strong and rest assured that this Administration will always put the needs of the American people above partisan politics as usual,” the continued, adding that signed the bill while at Camp David.
White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert told reporters during Friday’s White House press briefing the president would sign the legislation as soon as it landed on his desk, and thanked House and Senate leaders for acting quickly.
“They came in in a fast way to give us the emergency supplemental funding. … First, FEMA still has the money that they need so there’s no break in operations. … But there will be a break in their operations if they run out of money,” he said. “That’s why that supplemental legislation was so necessary. Thank you to the House and Senate leadership for bringing everyone back in and assessing that so quickly and responsibly.”
Congress approved additional disaster relief funding after Hurricane Harvey brought record rainfall and catastrophic flooding to parts of southeastern Texas, and as Hurricane Irma barreled toward Florida.
The storm is expected to make landfall in South Florida this weekend.
Lawmakers returned from the month-long August recess this week and began debating the Hurricane Harvey aid package.
But Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said earlier this week the upper chamber would tie the hurricane relief measure to a bill increasing the debt ceiling. The move was opposed by fiscal conservatives who urged congressional leaders to separate the two.
On Wednesday, Trump met with leaders of both parties at the White House, and there, the president agreed to a deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to suspend the debt ceiling and continue government funding for three months.
Under their proposal, the package would be paired with Hurricane Harvey disaster aid.
In agreeing to the deal with Pelosi and Schumer, Trump bucked previous offerings from GOP leaders to extend the debt limit for 18 months or for six months.
Though Republican leaders agreed to take up the measure from Trump and Democratic leaders, some Republicans were surprised by the proposal.
Still, the package passed the Senate.
Ahead of Friday morning’s vote in the House, GOP lawmakers attended a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and House Republicans were angered by his lack of information about how much money the government will spend between now and Dec. 8.
Ninety Republican lawmakers ended up opposing the disaster relief bill, including four from Texas.
