Democrats object to Rick Scott’s effort to pass disaster relief fund without Ukraine money 

Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) on Thursday attempted to bring a bill to the Senate floor to replenish a dwindling federal disaster relief fund but ran into an objection from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).  

Whitehouse argued that the Senate instead should act on President Biden’s request for a “comprehensive emergency supplemental” spending package, which would include money for the disaster relief fund, firefighters battling wildfires, and the war in Ukraine.  

Scott’s bill would have set up a Senate vote on a proposal to add more than $16 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s [FEMA] disaster relief fund, which is projected to have $550 million left in its account by month’s end.  

“It would just fill up the disaster relief fund,” he said after the attempt to gain unanimous consent to move the legislation. “Mine was $16.5 billion. It’s an authorization, it’s not spending the money yet.” 

Scott cited the need to fund debris pickup, individual assistance and sheltering in the wake of hurricanes and other natural disasters.  

He argued on the floor that replenishing the relief fund would help communities across the country and farmers in Florida, whose crops were destroyed by hurricanes  

“Number one, it will put funds into FEMA so they can provide help for all these communities in every state. Number two, the next thing it does is it helps our farmers. Our farmers have been waiting for almost 12 months for relief from the Department of Agriculture,” he said.  

Whitehouse stood up on the Senate floor, however, to object to Scott.  

“I appreciated that Sen. Scott would like to accelerate disaster aid to his home state, but let me observe that disasters have taken place not only in Florida but in … Hawaii, in Vermont and Louisiana and other states as well,” he said.  

Whitehouse said Congress shouldn’t split off disaster relief funding from Biden’s broader request for $44 billion in emergency funding, which includes $24 billion for Ukraine.  

“What President Biden did is made a request to Congress in August to pass a comprehensive emergency supplemental that includes an increase in funding for FEMA’s disaster relief fund,” he said. 

Whitehouse noted that Biden’s request also includes $45 million for the Department of Agriculture and $15 million for the Department of Interior to support 20,000 firefighters battling wildfires. 

“What we should do is pass the continuing resolution with full funding for the president’s supplemental request for FEMA’s disaster relief fund, for the Department of Interior firefighting money and while we’re at it … to support Ukraine. So for those reasons, I will object,” Whitehouse said.