150 Republicans vote against hurricane relief aid

The House on Friday passed a $17 billion disaster relief package to help storm ravaged communities across the country rebuild.

However that was no thanks to Republicans, 150 of whom voted against the relief funds because they included money to help Puerto Rico rebuild after it was decimated by Hurricane Maria.

Trump instructed Republicans to vote against the funding bill Thursday night, calling it a “BAD DEMOCRAT” aid package because it included money to help Puerto Rico.

Trump and members of his administration have disparaged the island, falsely saying Puerto Rico is a foreign country — it’s not, it’s a U.S. territory — and badly inflating the amount of aid the island has received to rebuild after the storm.

Trump has continually lied and said Puerto Rico received $91 billion to rebuild after Hurricane Maria. In fact, Puerto Rico has been offered just a fraction of that amount. Thus far it has spent $11 billion on rebuilding efforts.

But giving any money to an island filled with Spanish-speaking non-whites is just too much for Trump. He’s painted the funding debate as a fight between the minorities who live in Puerto Rico and the farmers from mostly white regions who have been hit by devastating floods.

“Puerto Rico has been given more money by Congress for Hurricane Disaster Relief, 91 Billion Dollars, than any State in the history of the U.S.,” Trump tweeted on May 6, repeating the lie yet again.

“The Dems don’t want farmers to get any help,” Trump continued. “Puerto Rico should be very happy and the Dems should stop blocking much needed Disaster Relief!”

Of course, Democrats’ aid package did have funding for farm areas hit by floods.

And instead, it’s Trump who ordered Republicans to “stick together” to oppose the aid bill — meaning the fact that Americans all over the country are still awaiting necessary aid is his fault.

Turns out, Trump’s racism is now affecting everyone.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.