Schatz Helps Secure More Than $20 Billion In Aid For Maui, Other Disaster-Affected Communities In Appropriations Deal
New Federal Funding Adds to $16 Billion in Disaster Aid Congress Allocated Last Fall; Schatz Also Secured Provision Calling On FEMA To Report On Urgent Need For Housing On Maui, Update On Recovery Progress
WASHINGTON – As part of the second tranche of a bipartisan appropriations package that Congress passed last week, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) helped secure $20.2 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) which helps Maui and other communities across the country recover from disasters. The funding is in addition to $16 billion Congress allocated for the DRF last fall. Schatz also secured a provision directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to report on its progress in providing housing to fire survivors on Maui and to ensure that it is considering the local economy and rental market in its recovery work.
“As the recovery in Lahaina continues, this new funding for the Disaster Relief Fund will help ensure federal aid keeps flowing in the months ahead,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’re working as hard as we can to deliver additional federal resources and address the greatest and most pressing needs, including housing.”
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