Press Releases

Washington, DC – The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure convened a legislative markup earlier today and unanimously approved the following measures to help America’s veterans and improve federal emergency management response:

• General Services Administration Resolutions for eight leases for Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics, to help improve medical facility and service access for veterans in underserved communities.
• H.R. 1214 – Disaster Simplified Assistance Value Enhancement Act – “The Disaster SAVE Act” temporarily increases FEMA’s simplified projects threshold for disaster assistance to $500,000.  This increase will streamline the efficient and effective delivery of assistance for small disaster assistance recovery projects without reducing oversight.
• H.R. 654 – Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2017 – a bill to direct FEMA to carry out a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
• H.R. 1174 – Fairness for Breast Feeding Mothers Act of 2017 – a bill to ensure that federal buildings open to the public provide a public lactation area when feasible.
• H.R. 1117 – To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit a report regarding certain plans regarding assistance to applicants and grantees during the response to an emergency or disaster.
• H.R. 375 – To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 719 Church Street in Nashville, Tennessee, as the “Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse”.
• Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Views and Estimates of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

“Today, our committee approved a number of bipartisan measures which will streamline our emergency response efforts and help deliver new medical facilities for our veterans.  These new facilities will provide veterans with the access they have earned and the necessary medical treatment they need,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA).   

“Today, the Committee passed several pieces of legislation that will help support our nation’s veterans, families, and improve emergency preparedness and response.  I am extremely pleased that the Committee passed my legislation to prepare Pacific Northwest communities for catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis.  My legislation forces the federal government to get serious and install a critical system that could save thousands of lives, countless injuries, and billions of dollars of damage,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR).   

“Improving our Nation’s emergency management procedures has always been a priority of mine, and I am pleased that the committee could come together today to pass several bills, including my own Disaster SAVE Act, that do just that,” said Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chairman Lou Barletta (R-PA).  “I am also encouraged by the approval of eight Department of Veterans Affairs leases, which will help ensure our Nation’s veterans get the care they deserve without having to travel far from home.”

“Today's action will improve health care delivery for our veterans who have given so much, as well as help state and local communities recover from disasters faster,” said Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Ranking Member Hank Johnson (D-GA).

More information from today’s markup is available here.