2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For Providing $19.1 Billion In Supplemental
Funds For Damage Caused By Natural Disasters. In June 2019,
Fitzpatrick voted for a motion that would, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "provide $19.1 billion in supplemental disaster funds for
response efforts to damage caused by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes,
tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters that occurred in 2017,
2018, and 2019." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and
concur in the Senate. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of
354-58. [House Vote 232,
6/3/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/3/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.2157]
The Bill Was Delayed Due To Debates Over How Much Additional Aid
Should Go To Puerto Rico. According to Congressional Quarterly,
"The bill took months to come together and was delayed for a variety
of reasons, including debate about how much additional aid should go
to Puerto Rico to help it continue to recover from two devastating
hurricanes that claimed about 3,000 lives in 2017." [Congressional
Quarterly, 6/3/19]
Conservatives Opposed The Bill Because Of Its Cost. According to
The Hill, "Critics of the legislation [...] cited concerns over
its impact on the national debt and its lack of border funding as
factors in their decision to vote against the measure [...]
Conservative groups including Club for Growth and FreedomWorks
advocated against its passage, arguing that Congress failed to
provide offsets for the spending, and blasted the attempts to pass
the measure during pro forma sessions. 'The bill is simply nothing
that any Republican should support. It appropriates too much money;
more money than last month's previously-passed versions of the
legislation which 150 Republicans voted against,' FreedomWorks
wrote." [The Hill,
6/3/19]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For An FY 2019 Disaster Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Bill That Provided $19.1 Billion Relief For Wildfires,
Hurricanes -- Including For Puerto Rico, And Flooding, And Extended
Flood Insurance Through The End Of September. In May 2019, Fitzpatrick
voted for an FY disaster relief supplemental appropriations bill.
According to Congressional Quarterly, "[p]assage of the bill, as
amended, that would provide $17.4 billion in supplemental disaster
funds for response efforts to damage caused by hurricanes, wildfires,
earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters that
occurred in 2017, 2018, and 2019. It would provide $693 million in
disaster nutrition and Medicaid assistance for individuals impacted by
natural disasters in Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. It would extend the National Flood
Insurance Program, which will expire on May 31, through September 30,
2019. It would also provide funds for areas impacted by natural
disasters for economic development, training and employment services,
and behavioral and social health services. The bill includes a total of
$4.3 billion for Agriculture Department disaster-related activities,
including $3 billion for crop, tree, bush, vine, and livestock losses
from hurricanes, wildfires and other declared disasters that occurred in
2018 and 2019. The bill would provide $2.2 billion for a Housing and
Urban Development Department community development block grant program,
and $1.7 billion for Transportation Department programs and activities,
including $1.65 billion for the cost of federal highway and bridge
repairs. It would provide $1.5 billion to the Defense Department to
repair military facilities damaged by hurricanes Florence and Michael,
$2.8 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for civil construction
projects, and $2 billion the Army Corps for facility repairs. It would
also state that military construction funds provided by the bill may
only be used for purposes specified in the bill. As amended, the bill
would authorize an additional $1.9 billion in funding for disaster
response efforts, including $955 million for Armed Services
construction and repair planning, $500 million for highway and road
repairs, $310 million for the Farm Service Agency emergency watershed
protection program, and $91.2 million for repairs to federal buildings
and courthouses damaged as a result of Hurricane Florence." The vote was
on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 257 to 150. [House
Vote 202, 5/10/19;
Congressional Quarterly, 5/10/19;
Congressional Quarterly,
5/10/19;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2157]
The Bill Provided Funding For Midwestern Farms Hit By Flooding.
According to Congressional Quarterly, "Hours after Trump told
Republicans to reject the disaster relief bill, the House backed
millions of dollars for Midwest farms ravaged by flooding, Southern
states still struggling after tornadoes, Western locales devastated
by wildfires and other regions affected since 2017." [Washington
Post,
5/10/19]
The President Did Not Want To Give Additional Money To Puerto
Rico. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The House
overwhelmingly passed a $19.1 billion bill Friday to provide
federal aid to communities and military installations hit hard by
natural disasters, ignoring President Trump's opposition to the
package over its assistance for Puerto Rico. [...] The major
sticking point for the president is the additional funding Democrats
included to help Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria severely
damaged the island and left an eventual death toll that Puerto Rico
puts at around 3,000. The additional funding amounts to more than
$3 billion, including $600 million for nutritional assistance."
[Washington Post,
5/10/19]
Flood Insurance Was Set To Expire At The End Of May. According
to Congressional Quarterly, "It would extend the National Flood
Insurance Program, which will expire on May 31, through September
30, 2019." [Congressional Quarterly,
5/10/19]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For A Bill That Extended Government Funding
Via A CR Through February 8, 2019 And Provided $12.1 Billion In
Supplemental Disaster Funds For Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes And
Other Natural Disasters In 2017 And 2018. In January 2019, Fitzpatrick
voted for a CR and disaster supplemental bill. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "Passage of the bill that would provide
continuing appropriations for operations of the federal government at
current funding levels through Feb. 8, 2019. Additionally, the bill
provides $12.1 billion in supplemental disaster funds for response
efforts to damage caused by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and other
natural disasters that occurred in 2017 and 2018. The bill includes a
total of $2.7 billion for Agriculture Department disaster-related
activities, including $1.1 billion for crop (including milk), tree,
bush, vine, and livestock losses from 2018 hurricanes, wildfires and
other declared disasters. The bill provides $1.16 billion for the
Housing and Urban Development Department's Community Development Block
Grants-Disaster Recovery Program, and $1.7 billion for Transportation
Department programs and activities, including $1.65 billion for the
cost of federal highway and bridge repairs. It provides $1.46 billion
to the Defense Department to repair military facilities damaged by
hurricanes Florence and Michael, primarily for repairing damage to
military facilities in the Carolinas and Florida. As amended, the bill
would prohibit funds provided in the bill for the Army Corps of
Engineers or the Homeland Security Department from being used to
construct a 'new physical barrier' along the southwest border of the
U.S. Also as amended, the bill would permit the use of emergency funds
provided to the Agriculture Department for 2018 crop losses to be used
to cover harvested wine grapes that were found to have been tainted by
smoke from wildfires." The vote was on passage. The House passed the
bill by a vote of 237 to 187. [House Vote 39,
1/16/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 1/16/19; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
268]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted To Provide $28.6 Billion For Natural Disaster
Relief, Including To Cover Agricultural Losses, Flood And Storm Damage
Response, Community Development Block Grants, To Reimburse State For
Road And Bridge Damages, For The Forest Service, Wildfire Response,
Small Business Administration Disaster Loans, Navy And Air Force
Facility Repairs, The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration,
And To Investigate Building Collapses. In September 2021, Fitzpatrick
voted for a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the Extending
Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021 which
would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide $28.6 billion in
supplemental appropriations for natural disaster relief, including $10
billion for the Agriculture Department to cover agricultural losses;
$5.7 billion for Army Corps of Engineers flood and storm damage
response; $5 billion for disaster-related community development block
grants; $2.6 billion to reimburse states and territories for damage to
roads and bridges; $1.36 billion for the Forest Service and $636
million for the Interior Department, including for wildfire response;
$1.2 billion for Small Business Administration disaster loans; $895
million for Navy and Air Force facility repairs; $345 million for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including $200 million
for fishery disaster response; and $22 million for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology to investigate building
collapses." The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment.
The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 254-175 and sent to the
President and became law. [House Vote 311,
9/30/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 9/30/21;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
5305]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Establish A National Disaster Safety Board
To Examine Fatal Natural Disaster Events And Recommend Similar Outcomes
In Future Natural Disasters. In July 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for the Continental Divide Trail Completion
Act, which would "establish a National Disaster Safety Board to review
fatal natural disaster events and make recommendations to prevent
similar outcomes in the future, requiring the Transportation Department
to transfer $175 million to the board over four years and providing $4
million annually beginning in fiscal 2023 for a board emergency fund."
The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 218-199,
thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take
substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 414,
7/29/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/29/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
5118]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted To Increase Funding For The NOAA For Improving
Hurricane, Flood, And Wildfire Forecasting. In May 2019, Fitzpatrick
voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "increase[d] by $5 million funding for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the purposes of improving
hurricane, flood, and wildfire forecasting models." The underlying
legislation was an FY 2019 disaster relief supplemental appropriations
bill. The House agreed to the amendment by a vote of 247 to 165. The
House later passed the underlying bill. [House Vote 197,
5/10/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 5/10/19; Congressional
Actions, H. Amdt.
209;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2157]