Rep. Bishop Issues Statement on Disaster Aid Bill

WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Georgia, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, issued the following statement after a House GOP member objected to unanimous consent to pass the $19.1 billion disaster aid bill, keeping the bill from going directly to President Trump's desk:

"Today, although Congress is officially in recess until June 3rd, I returned to Washington to ask for unanimous consent for the House to pass the updated disaster bill. My colleague Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) and I remain furious that Americans continue to be denied the disaster aid they so desperately need," said Bishop.

"Last week, after months of delay, the Senate passed an updated bill. The House was expected to pass it by unanimous consent the next day, sending it immediately to the President's desk to be signed into law. Unfortunately, a single House GOP member blocked the bill.

"Today, yet another House GOP member blocked the bill from passing by unanimous consent, ensuring the pain of Americans, including our communities in Middle and Southwest Georgia, will continue.

"Let me be clear, there is no excuse for this deliberate denial of relief to those who are suffering! With the Senate and Administration on board with this bill, I cannot understand why anyone would play politics when communities coast to coast and the territories remain in catastrophic hard times.

"The House, the Senate, nor the Administration should rest until Americans can receive this critical disaster relief! We should pass this bill sooner, not later, without further sabotage by an extreme wing in the Minority party."

A summary of the bicameral, bipartisan disaster relief package is available here (https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Emergency%20Supplemental%20Summary.pdf)