Almost all Four-State Area representatives vote against Harvey relief bill

Sept. 13--With Southeast Texas picking itself up in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, $15.3 billion in aid will flow its way, though not because of votes from area House members.

Almost all of the House Republicans whose districts touch on the Four-State Area were among the 90 members, all Republican, who voted against the bill Friday, hours before President Donald Trump signed it into law. Seventeen senators, all Republican, voted against the bill as well.

Most were disapproving of the additions to the bill, stemming from a deal struck between Trump and Senate Democrats. In addition to upping the aid package from the House's $7.85 billion, the bill also raised the debt ceiling and passed a continuing resolution, allowing the government to continue borrowing money to function for three more months.

Missouri

Along with the rest of the Missouri Republicans, Rep. Billy Long voted against the bill. After political squabbles, Joplin, which lies in Long's district, received about $158 million altogether in disaster relief to rebuild after the 2011 tornado.

"I voted for hurricane relief earlier in the week, but when it came back from the Senate, it increased the debt ceiling with nothing to offset the increase in spending," Long said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Vicki Hartzler, whose district includes Nevada, said in a statement she opposed the bill because it included a spending freeze for the Department of Defense. In a continuing resolution, all parts of the government continue to spend at the same level.

"The House should have sent the continuing resolution back to the Senate with a defense spending bill that adequately addresses the needs that our military leaders have repeatedly told us are absolutely vital," Hartzler said in a statement.

After the vote, some criticized the Missouri Republicans for playing politics with disaster relief.

"Of all the possible things they could have broken with President Trump on, it's disappointing that Missouri's Republican officeholders in the U.S. House voted against much-needed hurricane relief for Houston," Stephen Webber, Missouri Democratic Party chairman, said in a statement.

Both Missouri senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Roy Blunt, voted for the bill.

Kansas

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, whose district includes Pittsburg, said in a statement that she voted for the House's original stand-alone aid bill. She added that the debt limit and continuing resolution should have been a separate vote from disaster relief.

"The people of eastern Kansas elected me to Congress to help lower our national debt, not to keep Washington's spending on auto-pilot," Jenkins said in a statement.

While U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts voted for the bill, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran did not. Moran said in a statement that the continuing resolution, or "short-term fixes," threatened economic health and job creation.

"To couple this kind of short-sighted punt with disaster relief funding is Washington at its worst," Moran said.

Oklahoma, Arkansas

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, whose district includes Miami, Oklahoma, did not vote for the bill. He did not respond for a request for comment.

Oklahoma senators split against the bill. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, was in favor, and Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, was not.

Lankford in a statement said he voted for a stand-alone aid relief bill offered by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, which eventually failed.

"Disaster relief and the debt ceiling should have been completely separate," Lankford said in a statement. "It has become abundantly clear that Washington no longer sees the debt limit as a chance to actually tackle our runaway debt problems."

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack and Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman, both Republicans, were in favor of the bill.

Future spending

The $15 billion is only the first installment of aid relief. After Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Florida and South Carolina, more disaster relief will most likely be needed.

"I will vote for future disaster relief as long as it's not tied to something else for political reason," Missouri 7th District Rep. Billy Long said in his statement.

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