Rep. Robert Pittenger
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) voted against the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act.
“America must help those in need, including the tragedy in Puerto Rico, but we must do so responsibly,” said Congressman Pittenger. “When hardworking American families face unexpected expenses, they find offsets elsewhere in the family budget. That’s real life, but not in Washington. No effort has been made to trim expenses elsewhere to help pay for the necessary disaster relief. This legislation also takes no account of hardworking taxpayers by bailing out the failing National Flood Insurance Program without instituting a single reform to address the illogical practice of repeatedly rebuilding the same properties over and over. Support for Puerto Rico? Absolutely. This bill? Absolutely not without suitable accountability.
“We anticipate additional disaster relief needs of up to $50 billion. These additional amounts, while necessary, beg for fiscally responsible offsets.”
Unlike previous supplemental funding bills related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, today’s legislation has no direct impact on Hurricane Matthew disaster recovery efforts in North Carolina, and doesn’t include funding to prevent a government shutdown.
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