Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is caught in the middle between President Donald Trump and some Republican lawmakers over the stalled disaster relief bill, The Hill is reporting.
The bill is being held up over the issue of more assistance for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
Trump opposes more money being sent to the island and claims it is taking resources away from other states in need.
The president had tweeted on Monday: “Puerto Rico got far more money than Texas (and) Florida combined, yet their government can’t do anything right, the place is a mess - nothing works.”
And he railed against Puerto Rico consuming more than its fair share of disaster relief money during a meeting with Senate Republicans last week, according to The Hill.
Democrats have stalled the Republican-drafted saying it must include extra money for Puerto Rico. The Hill noted, however, that some of the states in most dire need or relief – Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Nebraska – have all-Republican Senate delegations.
Included in the bill is $3 billion for crop losses in agriculture-heavy states, The Hill noted.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., is trying to convince McConnell to get the bill passed as soon as possible.
“Oh yeah, I’ve talked to him,” Isakson said. “I told him it’s the most important thing here, period.”
One unidentified lawmaker added: “There’s a lot of money in the disaster relief budget right now but the Georgia, Nebraska and Iowa folks are extremely concerned.”
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