WASHINGTON _ The bipartisan $19.1 billion disaster aid bill hit another speed bump Thursday when a third GOP congressman objected to clearing the legislation through unanimous consent.
The package, which received final sign-off from Republicans and Democrats as well as the Trump administration a week ago, will instead likely pass the House on Monday when that chamber returns for recorded votes.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Justin W. Rose blocked unanimous consent Thursday. Rose follows in the footsteps of Republicans Rep. Chip Roy of Texas who prevented its passage last Friday and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who objected to sending the bill to the White House on Tuesday.
After months of negotiations, lawmakers reached agreement on May 23 to provide billions of dollars to states and territories recovering from a series of deadly storms and wildfires.
The final package, which dropped a divisive request for aid to process the surge of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, would provide $4.6 billion to help farms and rural communities rebuild after storms and other severe weather dating back to 2017, with $3 billion of that going toward direct reimbursements for lost crops and livestock.
There's also $3.25 billion for Army Corps of Engineers disaster mitigation projects, $3.2 billion to rebuild military bases and Coast Guard facilities and $2.4 billion for Community Development Block Grants to rebuild homes and businesses, among other funds.
The deal came after the House had taken its last roll call votes before the weeklong Memorial Day break, so House leaders needed to either ask for unanimous consent during a pro forma session, or wait until lawmakers return to the Capitol for a roll call vote.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, told reporters Tuesday that both Republicans House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of California, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, agreed to clear the bill through unanimous consent. But that didn't stop the three Republican members from objecting to its passage.
Their key issues are the manner in which the legislation could have been passed, the fact that it adds to the deficit and that it does not including additional funds requested by the administration to address a surge of migrants at the Mexican border.
The bill is broadly bipartisan, passing the Senate by a vote of 85-8 last week, meaning it's likely to see swift passage once the House returns for votes Monday.
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