Senate Moves Forward On Disaster Aid Plan

The Senate voted 90 to 10 to move forward to consideration of a $13.46 billion disaster aid package Tuesday, but that plan will not address current flooding in the Midwest. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said disaster aid would get approved in piecemeal fashion as the number of disasters multiplies. "Clearly we will be doing another supplemental here in the near future once we assess the damage in the Midwest," he told reporters Tuesday. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said lawmakers had been trying to expand the aid package to include recent flooding in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. But if the price tag for those three states exceeds $8 billion, he said, "you would add money later to that fund." The government has an indemnity program for livestock killed by storms and flood, but nothing to compensate growers for grain lost to flooding. For privately stored grain, “we do not have anything in place at USDA,” USDA Undersecretary Greg Ibach said earlier this week. “If Congress passes a disaster package, that may or may not be part of that.” Crops contaminated by flooding cannot be sold for food or feeding because it is considered adulterated. Flood waters may contain sewage, pesticides, pathogens and other toxic substances.