Trump predicts swift emergency funding for Texas
President Trump predicted Monday that Texas will receive swift emergency funding from Congress to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
“I think you’re going to see very rapid action from Congress, certainly from the president,” Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. “You’re going to get your funding. It’s a terrible tragedy.”
Trump added that he expects to see an emergency spending request on his desk “fairly soon,” and believes lawmakers will act on a bipartisan basis.
“We think you’re going to have what you need, and it’s going to go fast,” Trump said. “Texas … will be up and running very quickly. I think you’re going to be in fantastic shape.”
Trump swatted down concerns that efforts to deliver emergency aid to Texas would be hurt by his threats to shut down the government if a spending package doesn’t contain funding for his border wall this fall.
“It has nothing to do with it, really. I think this is separate,” Trump said. “This is going to go very, very quickly. Everybody feels the same way I do.”
There have been questions about whether a disaster aid package could be tied to a measure keeping the government funded, which must be approved before the end of September to prevent a government shutdown.
Trump has repeatedly suggested he might prefer a government shutdown if that was a way to secure funding for his border wall. Democrats have said they will not agree to a spending measure that includes funding for the wall.
Earlier in the press conference, Trump extended his thoughts and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, whose death toll has risen to at least eight.
Trump will visit Texas on Tuesday in the aftermath of Harvey, which made landfall in Texas on Friday. He said he may also visit the state, along with Louisiana, again on Saturday.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/348330-trump-predicts-swift-emergency-funding-for-texas