News release from the office of Congressman Tom Rooney on Jan. 11, 2018:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WASHINGTON, DC<\/strong> \u2013 Today marks exactly five months since Hurricane Irma tore through Florida\u2019s Heartland and decimated Florida\u2019s iconic citrus industry, resulting in the state\u2019s lowest citrus crop yield since World War II and at least $760 million in damages. Today also marks three weeks since the House sent the Senate a disaster relief bill that includes a critical lifeline for Florida\u2019s citrus growers and the tens of thousands of jobs this industry supports in Florida\u2019s rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have got to stop letting the perfect be the enemy of the good and get this disaster bill to the president\u2019s desk as soon as possible. Senate Democrats are blocking this bill because they claim it does not do enough to help the people of Puerto Rico \u2013 yet, they fail to acknowledge that the House accommodated at least some these concerns, including additional funds for Puerto Rico in our final bill,\u201d Rooney said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy refusing to negotiate and holding this bill hostage, Senate Democrats are delaying critical assistance to rebuild Puerto Rico\u2019s devastated electric grid. They\u2019re holding up urgently-needed support for those teachers and schools who are welcoming displaced students and their families. They\u2019re delaying funds that families and communities across the country need to get back on their feet after having suffered through the real consequences of the costliest year ever for weather disasters in the United States. There were 69 Democrats in the House who supported this relief bill and put people over party \u2013 it\u2019s time for their colleagues in the upper Chamber to do the same. The fate of Florida\u2019s iconic citrus industry literally hangs in the balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n