Senator David Perdue Calls on Colleagues to Support Disaster Relief Package

WASHINGTON, March 26 -- The office of Sen. David Perdue, R-Georgia, issued the following news release:

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- "Every night, farmers in Georgia get on their knees and pray that help will soon come."

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U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to urge support for his bipartisan disaster relief package. Today, the Senate voted 90-10 to begin debate on the bipartisan disaster relief package he introduced with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and other senators. Senators Perdue and Isakson have been fighting for disaster relief funding since Hurricane Michael devastated Georgia and other states last October.

Click here (https://youtu.be/2yuGoOqQIZo) to watch.

Highlights:

Unprecedented Devastation: "Our farmers are resilient. They've weathered droughts, low-yield harvests, and poor farm economies. They've suffered through several years of low commodity prices as well. But they've never faced anything like this before. The strength and magnitude of Hurricane Michael was unprecedented."

Unacceptable Delays: "This aid should have been funded as soon as we had an estimate of the damage just a few weeks after the hurricane hit. Instead, disaster aid got caught up in a partisan spending battle, and in typical Washington fashion, Congress kicked the can down the road."

Farmers Praying For Relief: "Every night, farmers in my state get on their knees and pray that help will soon come. They pray their lenders will show compassion. They pray they won't go bankrupt. They pray they will be able to provide for their families. And, yes, they are praying for other people around the country who have been devastated just like they have."

Washington's Intransigence: "It's unacceptable that Washington's intransigence continues to threaten the livelihoods of the very people who sent us here to represent them."

President Backs Puerto Rico Assistance: "The Trump Administration has been resolute in their support of the people of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma hit the island. To date, $40 billion has already been allocated... This disaster relief bill includes $600 million in additional nutritional assistance for the most vulnerable families in Puerto Rico."

Democrats Previously Supported: "Some members of this body argue we should allocate more funding for Puerto Rico. I would remind them this is the same level of funding they have previously supported."

Put Political Interests Aside: "Every day we continue debating this issue is a day the people across the country face crippling uncertainty. Today, I call on each of us to put our individual political interests aside and do the right thing for these people who are depending on us right now."