Harvey, Irma could cost billions in federal aid, but GOP could balk
Repairing the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey could cost hundreds of billions of dollars at a time when Republicans in Congress are reluctant to spend much on anything, particularly without a way to pay for it.
It could make passing disaster relief funding in the future a politically toxic exercise, even in the era of unified GOP government.
As authorities assess the damage in Harvey-ravaged Texas and Louisiana, and Irma continues to batter the southeast cost from Florida on up, it’s hard to tell how much money Congress will ultimately be asked to greenlight.
Joel Myers, president of AccuWeather, predicted on Monday the cost of Irma and Harvey combined could reach a total of $290 billion. However, that includes costs for which the federal government is not responsible, such as lost personal valuables or destruction of homes that ought to be protected by insurance.
http://www.bradenton.com/news/politics-government/article172712986.html
'Unified" GOP government? You just know they're going to screw this up.
