Utah Congressman Chris Stewart is defending his “no” vote on a House bill that provides disaster relief funding for Houston residents after Hurricane Harvey.
Stewart was one of 90 House Republicans to vote against the spending bill, which easily passed both the House and Senate this week.
The $15 billion package includes direct assistance for victims of Hurricane Harvey and small businesses seeking to rebuild. It also includes a short-term extension to keep the government funded and raises the country’s debt ceiling.
Stewart said in a statement he voted against the package because Congress had “abandoned our military and failed to address our national debt.”
Senator Mike Lee also voted against the package in the Senate. He said he was opposed to tying the debt limit to disaster relief, calling the maneuver “disgraceful.”
This isn’t the first time Lee has voted against relief bills on fiscal grounds. He also voted against the aid package for Hurricane Sandy in 2013.
The Harvey relief bill now heads to President’s Trump desk for signing.
