Senate Democrats blocked a disaster aid bill introduced by Republican Georgia Senators David Perdue and Johnny Isakson that would send $13 billion in relief to states impacted by recent hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters, stating that more money is needed to help hurricane-torn Puerto Rico. But President Donald Trump opposes additional funding and says the U.S. territory is getting more disaster money than some states.
The $13 billion would include over $3 billion for farmers in Georgia and other states to help with destroyed crops and storm damage.
Monday's 44-49 vote fell short of a majority, much less the 60 votes required to overcome a Democratic filibuster, sending GOP leaders back to the drawing board and seeming unlikely to kill disaster aid efforts outright, since there is much political support to send aid to Southern farmers, wildfire-ravaged California towns and Midwestern flood victims.
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Senator Perdue called out Democrats directly after the vote was cast.
"They're gambling with people's lives, Mr. President, and I don't understate that," Perdue said. "Some people won't recover from this. They will get out of farming."
11Alive's Joe Henke spoke to Senator Isakson by phone Tuesday,
"We are disappointed because Georgia was in there recovering. California was in there recovering. Alaska was in there recovering. North Carolina was recovering. Florida was recovering. Alabama was recovering," Isakson said. "But the Puerto Rican interests were convincing the Democrats they weren't getting enough. The Democrats took their side and they blocked the vote to keep the bill from moving forward."
The move to block the aid bill tossed victims into limbo and escalated a fight between Democrats and Trump, who said Tuesday in a series of tweets that he is the "best thing" that ever happened to Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello responded with his own tweets, stating in part, "Mr. President, this 'place' you refer to, #PuertoRico, is home to over three million proud Americans that are still recovering from the storm and in need of federal assistance. We are not your adversaries, we are your citizens."
Rossello also asked that all senators approve the disaster aid bill and disputed Trump's numbers, claiming that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved only $300 million in permanent work projects, not $91 billion.
Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, also issued a tweet stating that less than $13 billion has been received and society has been deeply impacted by the disaster.
Once the Perdue-Isakson bill stalled, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell held a vote on another relief bill the Democrat-controlled House recently passed. It included $14.2 billion in relief funds and assisted farmers in Georgia and elsewhere, but also sends millions more to Puerto Rico than the Republican-backed bill. The House bill failed in the Senate Monday 46-48.
Isakson and all other Republicans voted against it because of the increased aid to Puerto Rico.
"There are those strong voices in there sticking up for Puerto Rico and that has been the sticking point the last 24 to 48 hours," Isakson said.
He said he remains hopeful that middle ground can be found and said he wants to see a relief bill passed in the next two weeks.
"If we don't get this money back, some people are going to lose their farms," Isakson said. "A lot of our GDP this year is going to be hurt at the marketplace and it would be the wrong thing to do. So, hopefully everybody will get together, warm their hearts a little bit, think a little bit about what they're doing and come to realize that what we are trying to do is help our neighbors -- (and that) is the right thing to do."