Surprise! Senate sends Haiti relief bill back to the House
In a surprise late night move, the Senate sent the spending bill that contains the critical funding for Haiti relief back to the House further delaying final passage. The House had passed its version earlier in the month, but the Senate rejected the House changes. The House included additional funding for a number of domestic programs, and some Senators expressed concern that the House bill was too expensive. A filibuster ensued, and the Senate rejected further consideration of the House bill. Instead, they agreed to their own original bill that had already passed the Senate in May and sent it back to the House for consideration.
Now the House must act next week before going home for the August recess. They can choose to just pass the Senate bill. If that happens, the legislation will be sent to President Obama and will be signed into law. If the House makes any changes, it will need to go back to the Senate for them to pass. Both chambers need to resolve their differences quickly and before the recess, so Haiti can receive the aid it so desperately needs. If the bill is not signed into law before they leave DC, Haiti will be forced to wait another month before receiving this funding.
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July 24, 2010 at 1:07 am
Today I received e-mail with your request to support Haiti. “Will you let Congress know that we must pass the bill for Haiti now?” the note said. And as background said, “Six months after Haiti’s devastating earthquake, please support quick passage of US assistance to Haiti for reconstruction and debt relief.”
I went to your Blog and discovered that Kim Zimmerman, Sheila Nix and Kara Arsenault are writing in support of Haiti’s relief funds.
I think is commendable that you pursue such noble effort. But, I wonder why ONE.org and above fine group of writers have not shown the same solidarity with the people of Chile that suffered the most devastating 8.8 earthquake and tsunami in world history covering about 700 miles of shore line. Several seaside towns and villages were practically wiped out of the map. Over 1,000 people are still missing, fortunately in the island of Juan Fernandez (a.k.a. “Robinson Crusoe Island) a 12 year old girl received a warning call from the mainland and before she ran to the hills, as her dad asked to do, she went instead to the town square and rang the alarm bell and save the town from drowning. There are dozens of stories of valor and quick thinking. But all the good stories don’t change the fact that ONE.org dropped the ball in help to Chile in favor of Haiti.
Since the February earthquake nature has been relentlessly punishing Chile with earthquake replicas (up to 7.2 in the Richter scale) several times per week. This is an ongoing tragedy very hard to assess because of the changing daily conditions. Hundreds and hundreds of families living in tents or whatever they can get in the middle of a very cold unforgiving winter full of freezing rains.
Feel free to call me for more details, at 561 404 5233
Wilson Saavedra