House passes Trump-opposed disaster-relief bill with more funding for Puerto Rico

By Colby Itkowitz May 10 at 12:37 PM

The House passed a $17 billion disaster relief package over President Trump’s objections Friday, leaving it now to the Republican-led Senate to break the logjam and get assistance to hard-hit communities, including Puerto Rico.

Ahead of the vote, Trump called on Republicans to reject the disaster relief bill providing millions in funding to areas ravaged by natural disaster in the last few years.

Late Thursday evening, the president tweeted his opposition to the bill, calling it the “BAD DEMOCRAT Disaster Supplemental Bill” and urging House Republicans to vote against it. Hours later, around 11 p.m., he added that his party “must stick together.”

Still, 34 House Republicans joined Democrats to pass the sweeping disaster relief package 257-150 that would provide additional financial aid to places across the country besieged by hurricanes, wildfires and flooding since 2017.

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