The House of Representatives passed a $19 billion disaster relief bill on Monday night by a vote of 354-58, sending the measure to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it.
The bill provides funds to hurricane and flood-ravaged areas like the Florida panhandle, Arkansas and Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, and Puerto Rico.
All 58 of the “no” votes came from Republicans.
Among those Republicans who voted no were Reps. Chip Roy (TX) and Thomas Massie (KY), who previously blocked the legislation, which was passed by the Senate in May.
Massie has notably requested federal disaster aid for his home state four times since 2015.
Also among the noes were Tennessee Reps. Tim Burchett (R) and Scott DesJarlais (R), who both signed a letter to the president in March, requesting relief assistance following a wave of severe storms that inundated the state with floodwaters.
The measure was previously set to pass late last month, but was blocked three times by Republicans Roy and Massie, who claimed attempts to approve the bill by unanimous consent (meaning the aid package would pass as long as no one objected to it) were too “swampy,” as well as by Rep. John Rose (R-TN), who objected to passing the measure by a voice vote.
Rose voted in favor of the disaster aid bill Monday night.
Monday’s vote follows weeks of delays by Trump, who wanted funding for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall included in the bill and was against Democratic proposals to include addition support for Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from Hurricane Maria two years later.
The Senate later rejected Trump’s demand, passing an emergency aid package devoid of any wall funding by a vote of 85-8 on May 23.
Trump tweeted praise for the measure shortly after that vote, writing, “The U.S. Senate has just approved a 19 Billion Dollar Disaster Relief Bill, with my total approval. Great!”
The U.S. Senate has just approved a 19 Billion Dollar Disaster Relief Bill, with my total approval. Great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2019
The constant delays have hit disaster-ridden regions hard. As lawmakers went back and forth on Capitol Hill, many areas of the country were left to deal with broken levees and an additional deluge of floodwaters by themselves. Massive tornadoes struck several cities leaving dozens of fatalities in their wake.
Several House Republicans slammed their colleagues last month, noting that each delay meant further devastation for those who were already struggling.
“Unfortunately, more clowns showed up today to once again delay disaster relief for the states and farmers devastated by the storms of 2018. This bill will pass the House next week, and President Trump will sign it,” Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) tweeted on May 28, following the second failed vote.
This article will be updated with more details as they become available.