2013: Schweikert Voted To Allow Destroyed Or Damaged Religious Buildings To Receive Federal Disaster Money. In February 2013, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "revise[d] the definition of 'private nonprofit facilities' to include churches, synagogues and other houses of worship to make them eligible to receive federal disaster aid for the repair and replacement of damaged facilities. The bill would [have] allow[ed] the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance in response to a major disaster or emergency declared on or after Oct. 28, 2012." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill. The House agreed to the motion, passing the bill, by a vote of 354 to 72. The bill died in the Senate. [House Vote 39, 2/13/13; Congressional Quarterly, 2/13/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 592]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against Providing $19.1 Billion In Supplemental Funds For Damage Caused By Natural Disasters. In June 2019, Schweikert voted against 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: Schweikert Voted Against 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, Schweikert voted against 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: Schweikert Voted Against 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, Schweikert voted against 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: Schweikert Voted Against Providing $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, Schweikert voted against 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]
2016: Schweikert Voted For Requiring A Plan To Promote Global Security And Agricultural Development. In July 2016, Schweikert voted for a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require[d] the president to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to promote global security and agricultural development, and would authorize almost $3.8 billion in fiscal 2017 and 2018 for this strategy and for international disaster assistance." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill. The House agreed to the motion, thereby passing the bill, by a vote of 369 to 53. The bill was then sent to the president who signed it into law. [House Vote 354, 7/6/16; Congressional Quarterly, 7/6/16; Congressional Actions, S. 1252]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Establishing 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, Schweikert voted against 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: Schweikert Voted Against Increasing Funding For The NOAA For Improving Hurricane, Flood, And Wildfire Forecasting. In May 2019, Schweikert voted against 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]