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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Trump signs long-delayed $19.1B disaster aid bill

This June 18, 2018, file photo shows an aerial view of the Amelia neighborhood in the municipality of Catano, east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump signed a long-delayed disaster aid bill. (Dennis M. Rivera / Associated Press)
Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has signed a $19.1 billion disaster aid bill aimed at helping communities across the country bounce back from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and fires.

Trump tweeted a photo of himself holding the signed bill in what appeared to his office aboard Air Force One. The tweet came shortly after Trump landed in Ireland following a ceremony in France commemorating the D-Day invasion.

Trump says the aid, which will benefit states including Georgia and Florida, is: “So important for our GREAT American farmers and ranchers.”

The bill languished for months amid disputes over Trump’s demand for border funding, as well as additional aid for Puerto Rico, which Trump opposed.

Trump nonetheless tweeted the U.S. territory “should love President Trump,” claiming that, “Without me, they would have been shut out!”