Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a $94.5 billion emergency bill to fund the war and provide hurricane relief to the Gulf Coast.  The measure now goes to the Senate, and is expected to arrive on the President's desk later this week.

 

The measure includes $235 million to help fund Texas schools for educating Katrina students, a FEMA reimbursement rate 90% to local governments - equal to Hurricane Rita reimbursement in neighboring Louisiana - and an extra $1 billion in Community Development Block Grants to be divided by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson between Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

 

The 90% reimbursement is expected to save Texas local governments an estimated $200 million, which U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady called "a huge help to taxpayers in our cities and counties who fought so hard to recover in the days and weeks after Hurricane Rita devastated our region."

 

The House was the major battleground as it sought to trim the pork from a bloated Senate bill and avoid a threatened presidential veto.

 

Brady, who led Texas' hurricane recovery effort in the House, brought leaders of the Southeast Texas Recovery Team to Washington to meet with leaders of the House, FEMA, HUD and the White House. That was the turning point, said Brady. "The uphill fight was in the House, and together with the invaluable help of our community leaders we were able to deliver much-needed hurricane help to Texas.  This is a major victory for east and southeast Texas."

 

In April Congressman Brady hosted Secretary Jackson to a 1,100 mile tour of the region to see first-hand the damage from Hurricane Rita.

 

He spoke to the secretary by phone today and said, "Secretary Jackson confirmed what he told us during the tour, which is if Congress gets the money to him he'll get the help to Texas. He has seen the damage, met with our local leaders and he assured me he knows what Texas needs to rebuild our homes and economy."

 

In addition to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt, Brady also credited Governor Rick Perry and Texas members of the appropriations committee for their help, including U.S. representatives Henry Bonilla, Kay Granger, John Carter and John Culberson.

 

"A special thanks goes to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchsion, who led the hurricane recovery efforts in the Senate and to my East Texas colleagues Ted Poe and Louie Gohmert who played key roles in securing hurricane relief. As freshmen members of Congress they displayed true leadership."