Senate Republicans are still holding up relief for parts of the U.S. hammered by natural disasters, but House Democrats are showing what responsible governance would look like by proposing a new, bigger aid package. The Senate hold-up comes because Republicans won’t pass a bill that angers Donald Trump by helping Puerto Rico—showing again how much in Trump’s thrall Republicans are—even as the island and its millions of U.S. citizens struggle to recover from two devastating hurricanes.
The House plan would add $2.5 billion in new aid for flood-stricken Midwestern states, many of them represented by Republican senators who will still reject the assistance because they see similar help for Puerto Rico as a poison pill. By contrast, a Democratic spokesperson said that “House Democrats have been clear that we support a comprehensive emergency supplemental to meet the needs of all Americans affected by natural disasters.”
The most Republicans are willing to offer Puerto Rico is $600 million to counter cuts to food benefits. But while that’s sorely needed, it doesn’t do anything about abandoned hospitals and washed-out bridges. The clock is ticking, Republicans are refusing to act because Donald Trump hates Puerto Ricans, and hurricane season is approaching again.