U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa issued the following statement regarding the House passage of a disaster aid package. The bill, which recently passed the Senate, includes Grassley’s amendment designed to provide relief to farmers that lost stored grain in recent floods. It now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
“Americans impacted by natural disasters in Iowa and throughout the country have had to wait too long for relief due to partisan politics in Congress. By passing this disaster relief package, the House took an important and necessary step forward to provide the assistance these Americans desperately need to rebuild,” Grassley said. “Included in the legislation is my amendment to provide specific relief for farmers who lost grain when grain bins busted because of flooding. This should help those affected, especially in Southwest Iowa, in their continued efforts to rebuild and recover. This package is a good start for addressing Midwest flooding needs. I’ll continue to work with farmers, communities and the state of Iowa on what further assistance will be needed.”
More information about the disaster aid package can be found here. Some of the provisions that will assist disaster-affected Iowans follows.
- S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Secretary – Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP) – $3,005,442,000
For necessary expenses related to losses of crops (including milk, on-farm stored commodities, crops prevented from planting in 2019, and harvested adulterated wine grapes), trees, bushes, and vines.
- S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA) – Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) – $558,000,000
For repairs to damaged farmland.
- S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – Emergency Watershed Protection Program – $435,000,000
For rural watershed recovery.
- S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development – Rural Community Facilities Program – $150,000,000
For small rural communities impacted by natural disasters.
- Economic Development Assistance (EDA) Programs – $600,000,000
To provide grants to communities directly impacted by disasters.
- Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance (O&M) – Mississippi River and Tributaries – $575,000,000
To address emergency situations at Corps projects and rehabilitate and repair damages to Corps projects caused by natural disasters.
- S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) – Emergency Relief Program (ER) – $1,650,000,000
For repair and reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads which have suffered serious damages as a result of natural disasters.
- S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – $2,431,000,000
For disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
