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House Passes Relief Bill Despite Ongoing Battle over Funds for Puerto Rico

HeadlineMay 13, 2019

The House passed a $19 billion relief bill Friday, despite President Trump’s objection to the package over its funding for assistance to Puerto Rico. The legislation includes $600 million in nutrition assistance to the island—a number that Democrats previously said was too low to adequately aid the many Puerto Ricans still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. A similar proposal in the Senate stalled last month.

Trump has continuously lashed out at Puerto Rico’s political leaders, accusing them of misusing federal funds. Last year, he reportedly told White House officials he wanted to withhold any additional recovery assistance from the island.

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