FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2007 CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Secures Drought and Wildfire Relief for Texas
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that Congress has passed the conference report on an emergency appropriations bill which contains $3 billion dollars for drought and wildfire disaster relief across Texas and the nation. The bill will now go to the president to be signed into law.
“Texas farmers, ranchers and property owners need this disaster relief and I am pleased to help secure this funding that was passed by a bipartisan majority,” Sen. Hutchison said. “Texans suffered great losses over the last two years due to drought and wildfires and this funding will help them recover.
The drought losses in 2005 were the second highest in Texas’ history. Nationwide, losses in excess of crop insurance indemnities for 2005, 2006 and thus far in 2007 are in the billions of dollars. In 2005, over 80 percent of all U.S. counties were designated primary or contiguous disaster areas.
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