05.08.19

REAX of Vice Chairman Leahy To President Trump's Rally In Florida

At his campaign rally, President Trump again repeatedly and falsely claimed that Democrats are blocking disaster aid from reaching communities across the country.  That is not true.  The fact is that in early April, Senate Republicans – at the direction of the President – blocked more than $2.6 billion dollars in disaster aid to the very state the President held his rally in.  The fact is that even though in his fiscal year 2020 budget the President requested $8.6 billion for his wall, he has not requested a single cent in emergency supplemental funding for civilian communities affected by 2018-2019 natural disasters in California, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, North Carolina or South Carolina.  The fact is that the President is holding disaster aid to all American communities hostage over his petty political grudge with the American citizens of Puerto Rico. 

Instead of rallies and false, inflammatory rhetoric, the President should work with Democrats to help rebuild our stricken communities.  The federal government should stand with the American people – all of the American people – in times of need. 

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REAX of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy