Date: February 7, 2020
Subject: Channeling Billions of Additional Funds to Puerto Rico under the Guise of "Disaster Relief"
Description: The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief and Puerto Rico Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, sponsored by Rep. Lowey (D-NY), would grow the U.S. budget deficit (already over $1 trillion annually) by an additional $20 billion over the next decade to primarily expand welfare programs and enrich government-favored developers in Puerto Rico. The bill would appropriate $4.67 billion in disaster aid for Puerto Rico, despite the fact Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief fund had a balance of $34.84 billion at the time of this vote. Additionally, the bill would expand numerous individual and corporate welfare programs without any evidence of their effectiveness. ACU believes it insulting to taxpayers to provide even more disaster funding to a territory embattled in corruption, and finds this spending reckless considering that just last year FEMA fired several employees who were convicted of $1.8 billion in fraud involving government contractors.
Result: Bill Passed, 237-161
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