West Palm Beach, FL – Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21) released the following statement after voting to pass the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, which extends federal funding through December 3rd and provides $28.6 billion in emergency relief for Americans who have been impacted by recent natural disasters, and $6.3 billion to support Afghan allies and evacuees fleeing Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American troops.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and though we have come a long way over the past few months in terms of job growth and assistance for Americans who have been hurt by this crisis, we’re not out of the woods yet,” said Rep. Frankel. “This critical bill will help Americans who have been struggling to make ends meet due to COVID-19, while also providing support for the survivors of devastating natural disasters and assistance for Afghan evacuees. This legislation also extends the deadline for negotiating our transformative government funding bills, which will make historic investments in child care and other assistance for working families across America.”

The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act is comprised of four key elements:

• A Continuing Resolution which extends funding for vital federal agencies, including education, health, housing, and public safety programs through December 3rd.
• Emergency disaster funding which includes $28.6 billion to address the rising cost of climate change while providing relief for survivors of recent natural disasters such as Hurricanes Ida, Delta, Zeta, and Laura, wildfires, severe droughts and winter storms.
• Emergency assistance for Afghan evacuees which includes $6.3 billion in support for temporary housing, necessary security screenings, the resettlement of eligible evacuees in the United States, and funding to provide humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees in neighboring countries.
• A suspension of the debt limit through December 2022.

Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act passed the House by a vote of 220-211, and now goes to the Senate. The full text of the legislation is here.

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