{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-reax-to-trump-adms-3rd-emergency-supplemental-request", "Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday issued the following statement on the Trump Administration\u2019s emergency supplemental request, totaling $44 billion, to address recent natural disasters.\u00a0 Earlier this month, Leahy and Senator Schumer led a letter outlining what Senate Democrats believe should be contained in the supplemental request.]\r\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s request does not come close to meeting the needs of victims of recent natural disasters in Texas, Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.\u00a0 Earlier this month, Senator Schumer and I led Senate Democrats in calling on President Trump to put forward a comprehensive package to provide relief from the recent onslaught of natural disasters.\u00a0 This is not that package.\u00a0 This is wholly inadequate and downright insulting, especially for the people of Puerto Rico who, eight to ten weeks after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, are struggling to get the lights back on and are looking to Congress for help.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nAs Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee I have received requests for more than $180 billion in federal assistance from communities impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.\u00a0 This request doesn\u2019t come even close to meeting those needs.\u00a0 This was a chance for the Trump Administration to show that they care about ALL Americans and that the federal government stands behind disaster-struck communities.\u00a0 They failed.\u00a0 It does not provide sufficient funds to rebuild homes, roads, bridges, schools, or Puerto Rico\u2019s electrical grid.\u00a0 What\u2019s more, the Administration wants to pay for this package by making cuts to other important programs that states, including Texas, Florida and others affected by the hurricanes, rely on.\u00a0 This is not how we have treated disasters in the past, and Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve no less than our full commitment to help them rebuild.\u00a0\r\nI am particularly concerned that the Administration\u2019s proposal fails to meet the unique needs of the people of Puerto Rico.\u00a0 The new $12 billion dollar mitigation fund proposed by this Administration will never flow to Puerto Rico because it favors states that can provide matching funds.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nIf we do not now stand behind the people of Puerto Rico, how can we expect them to have faith in us in the future?\u00a0 Much like in the delayed response to Katrina and the people of New Orleans, we are seeing the people of Puerto Rico lose faith that we will help them rebuild.\u00a0 Thousands are abandoning their homes and communities for the mainland.\u00a0 This will have cascading consequences for generations to come, exacerbating what was already a fragile economy on the island and risking the wreckage of its vibrant culture.\u00a0 We need to send a signal that we are with them, and we need to send it now.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nFor 73 days,\u00a0the people of Puerto Rico, United States citizens, have endured the largest power outage in U.S. history, with nearly 50 percent of the island still in the dark.\u00a0 For 73 days these Americans have been trying to rebuild their homes, their schools and their communities on the promise that we will stand with them.\u00a0 The President\u2019s plan is unacceptable.\u00a0 Mr. President, this is not a \u201c10 out of 10\u201d response.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-reax-to-trump-adms-3rd-emergency-supplemental-request"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4355857856571674, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}