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(Update 9/7/17): This bill has been co-opted to serve as the legislative vehicle for legislation providing $15.2 billion in disaster relief funding, suspend the debt limit & fund the entirety of the federal government at current levels through December 8, 2017, and extend other expiring programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program through that date. Previously the bill promoted universal education for women and girls in countries receiving U.S. foreign aid.

Of the $15.2 billion provided by the updated bill, $7.4 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief fund to ensure the agency can meet all current needs and remain prepared for additional disasters; $7.4 billion would go to the Community Development Block Grant program; and the remaining $450 million would support the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program to help small businesses and homeowners begin to rebuild.

","official_title":"Making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since the Senate agreed to a House amendment with an amendment on September 7, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nContinuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017\n\nDIVISION A--REINFORCING EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY IN DEVELOPMENT ACT\n\nReinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act or the READ Act\n\n(Sec. 3) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to state that it shall be U.S. policy to work with partner countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations (including faith-based organizations and organizations that represent teachers, students, and parents) to promote basic education through programs that: (1) respond to the needs and capacities of developing countries to improve literacy and other basic skills; (2) strengthen educational systems, expand access to safe learning environments (inc...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People recovering from Hurricane Harvey and other disasters; the federal government.","argument_for":"This bill makes an initial $15.2 billion in relief immediately available in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey to ensure that FEMA can fund all current disaster needs, while also preventing a government shutdown and default through December.","argument_against":"Congress shouldn’t spend this money without finding ways to offset the increase by reducing other spending. Lawmakers shouldn't combine the issues of disaster relief, funding the government, and raising the debt limit","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr601-115","bill_id":"hr601-115","formal_id":"H.R. 601","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-09-08T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":true,"enacted_at":"2017-09-08","vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2017-09-08T14:34:16.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/601","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr601enr/html/BILLS-115hr601enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr601-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/601/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-09-09","related_bill_ids":["sconres24-115","s623-115","hr3672-115","hjres108-115","hres502-115","hres509-115"],"progress":"Enacted","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":4368,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Foreign Affairs","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSFA","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Foreign Relations","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFR","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr601-115","details":"/api/bills/hr601-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr601-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr601-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr601-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":9,"slug":"hr601-115-disaster-relief-appropriations-act-2017","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr601-115","official_url":null,"target_video":false,"following":false,"vote_count":39418,"yea_vote_count":37257,"nay_vote_count":2131,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["economy"],"issue_ids":["economy"],"sponsor_id":339}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"economy","name":"Economy","slug":"economy","description":"The US Economy is heavily impacted by Federal legislation. Here you can find bills encompassing US monetary policy, the US Federal Budget, overall government spending, appropriations and how we handle the US federal debt and state finances. ","page_title":"Legislation related to the US Economy, monetary policy, the federal budget and government spending - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/black_economy-1429042041.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/grey_economy-1429042041.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/economy/white_economy-1429042041.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Barry ","vote_count":156,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/aW5NO7aZ/following","followers":"/api/users/aW5NO7aZ/followers"},"about_me":"","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":90,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":2,"position_count":146,"id":"aW5NO7aZ","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"f3d606ba-e696-44a6-a80f-97d786223f89","argument_for":"Education, not government mandate, is the only way to change ingrained cultures of equality. As a beacon of lliberty, the US should support, if not drive, these efforts around the world.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/f3d606ba-e696-44a6-a80f-97d786223f89"},"body":"Education, not government mandate, is the only way to change ingrained cultures of equality. As a beacon of lliberty, the US should support, if not drive, these efforts around the world.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2017-01-25T14:30:30.082Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/f3d606ba-e696-44a6-a80f-97d786223f89.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr601-115","user_id":"aW5NO7aZ","endorser_ids":[]}}

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$15.2 Billion in Disaster Relief, Plus Gov't Funding and a Debt Limit Increase Through December