After the devastation his district suffered when Hurricane Michael hit in October, a North Florida congressman has offered a proposal to help the federal government respond to disasters.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., brought out the “Streamlining the Official Response and Monetary Aid for Disasters Act” (STORM Aid for Disasters Act).
Dunn’s proposal would have federal agencies send reports to Congress and the Office of Management of Budget after the White House issues major disaster declarations.
“The first report is due no later than 30 days after the declaration and provides the description of damage, initial cost estimates, and the effects on the agency if additional resources are not received. The second report would be no later than 60 days after the declaration with any updates to the initial report,” Dunn’s office noted. “The legislation also expedites consideration of supplemental disaster funding, allowing a member of Congress to bring a supplemental appropriations bill to an immediate vote on the House floor if no action is taken within 90 days of a disaster declaration.”
Dunn offered the rationale behind his proposal when he introduced it on Wednesday.
“It’s clear the system to provide emergency funding to disaster victims is broken,” Dunn said. “It took Congress nine months to pass supplemental disaster funding for Hurricane Michael. Nine months where our military had to pause construction projects because they ran out of money, nine months where our farmers and timber producers watched their years of hard work quite literally rot on the ground before them, and nine months where communities struggled to get by. All this, because political theater in Washington took precedence,” said Dr. Dunn. “I refuse to allow disaster victims to be used as pawns in partisan fights. By streamlining the federal disaster response, we can take politics out of the equation. We have a chance to help the people across our country who are hurting and make the system work for future disaster victims.”
Dunn noted that Congress did not approve supplemental disaster funding for Hurricane Michael recovery until June.
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure and the Rules Committees. So far, there is no companion bill over in the U.S. Senate. Dunn has not reeled in any cosponsors in the House so far.
