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Senate passes $19 billion disaster relief bill

Published  May 23, 2019 5:23pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 5 Atlanta

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has passed a long-overdue $19 billion disaster aid bill to help to a number of states and Puerto Rico recover after a series of hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.

The widely-backed legislation passed by an 85-8 vote.

Republican leaders agreed to a demand by Democrats to toss out President Donald Trump's $4.5 billion request to address a record influx of Central American migrants who are fleeing violence in Guatemala, Honduras and elsewhere and coming to the United States.

Trump says he'll sign the measure and is promising that the U.S-Mexico border money he wants will pass soon.

The disaster relief bill was most eagerly sought by Trump's GOP allies in states such as Georgia, Florida, Iowa, and Nebraska. But it was held up for months, first by a battle over aid for Puerto Rico and then by failed negotiations on border aid.