Harvey Recovery: House Speaker Paul Ryan Tours Texas With Bipartisan Entourage

FRIENDSWOOD, TX — House Speaker Paul Ryan joined with GOP and Democratic leaders in a tour of the Texas Gulf Coast on Thursday, getting a first hand look at the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Ryan joined with volunteers and a bipartisan delegation, removing debris from storm-ravaged neighborhoods in Friendswood, about 35 miles north of Galveston Island, be4fore embarking on a hrlicoptor tour of the area.

Ryan's visit to Texas comes in advance of a planned vote next month to supplement funding for hurricane-ravaged Texas and Florida, and may include emergency funding for Puerto Rico, which was battered by Hurricane Maria earlier this week.

In the days that followed Hurricane Harvey’s relentless five-day onslaught of the Texas Gulf Coast, Republican and Democrat lawmakers in the Houston area vowed to work together to pass emergency legislation to help the Houston area and surrounding counties rebuild.

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U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) each vowed to work on a bipartisan effort to ensure Texans would receive the full financial support to rebuild, and a week later, unanimously passed a $15.3 billion emergency aid package.

Weeks later, Hurricane Irma decimated Florida.

Ryan, who toured Florida earlier this week, said more legislation is expected from the Trump Administration that will likely involve aid for both states, KPRC reported.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said they’ve received nearly 800,000 applications from Texans, and about 3,000 Houston area homeowners have asked for home buyouts, KHOU reported.

Right now, FEMA’s three main priorities are removing debris, finding housing for Harvey victims, and getting essential services and school back up and running again.

Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn accompanied Ryan on the tour, along with GOP and Democratic leadership.

Image: MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 20: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) speaks with U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) after a press conference about hurricane Irma during a visit to the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami on September 20, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Rep. Ryan visited Jacksonville, Miami, and the Keys to survey hurricane Irma damage and meet with FEMA, Coast Guard and local officials. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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