As they return to Washington this week, Connecticut’s two U.S. senators say they’ll support legislation for federal funding for relief efforts for Houston and other areas of the Gulf Coast.
Senator Richard Blumenthal says the national economy would be affected if there are any delays in providing the aid.
“If aid is delayed, if disaster relief and recovery are postponed, the prices of energy and gasoline, our economy will suffer ripple effect and jobs and economic progress all across the country will be at risk. That’s what’s at stake.”
Senator Chris Murphy says he’d like to see Congress change the way it deals with disaster relief.
“Why wait until the disaster occurs, and then a debate in Congress, before a community gets money? Why don’t we appropriate money every year to be used for disasters, if the disasters don’t happen, God willing, then money gets returned to the U.S. Treasury. Lets take the debate out of the political context and make it just about people.”
President Donald Trump has sent a request to Congress asking for $7.8 billion as a down payment on federal disaster relief funding for Texas and the Gulf Coast. The money would go to FEMA, the Federal Emergency Relief Agency.
