[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 150 (Tuesday, October 20, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE DAMAGE OF HURRICANE GEORGES IN PUERTO RICO

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, as you know, hurricane Georges 
recently caused great damage to the island of Puerto Rico. I would like 
to take this opportunity to personally express my sympathies to those 
who suffered loss due to this natural disaster. I would also like to 
clear up some confusion regarding the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), the federal agency currently working to alleviate the 
pain and suffering caused by the hurricane.
  I recently learned that erroneous reports regarding the funding of 
FEMA have been circulating in Puerto Rico. A few elected officials in 
the commonwealth have stated to the press that funding for the FEMA 
program is obtained from local taxes and user fees within Puerto Rico. 
These reports are simply not true.
  On the contrary, the Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and 
Independent Agencies has sole jurisdiction over the funding of FEMA, 
and the funds appropriated by the committee come from the general fund. 
The general fund is composed of the collection of federal taxes and 
user fees from taxpaying citizens of the United States.
  The United States Congress is committed to continuing our efforts to 
aid our fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico in their time of need. 
We will continue to seek additional emergency disaster relief funding 
for FEMA before Congress adjourns.

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