Cost of Harvey Cleanup Brings New Test Of Governance For Trump and GOP

"The catastrophic floods brought by Hurricane Harvey to southeastern Texas will pose an immediate test for the White House and Congress, pressing policymakers to approve billions of dollars in recovery funds even though they haven’t agreed on much else this year.

White House officials and GOP leaders were already taking stock of the challenge on Sunday, even as the floodwaters in Texas — and the eventual cost of recovery — were still rising. One senior White House official and GOP aides on Capitol Hill said late Sunday they expected to begin discussing an “emergency” package of funding soon to help with relief and rebuilding efforts, even if agreement as to the size of such a package remained premature.

Harvey’s devastation poses President Trump’s first test in emergency assistance, potentially revealing whether he can overcome Congress’s deep divisions over spending and the budget to prioritize aid. It will also test whether Trump can suspend his adversarial governing style and even postpone his own agenda, notably an overhaul of the tax code, to assemble a major — and costly — package that could be directed to law enforcement, emergency relief, schools, infrastructure, hospitals, food banks and several other entities."

Mike DeBonis and Damian Paletta report for the Washington Post August 28, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Hurricanes: Trump Faces First Big Disaster Test" (ClimateWire)

"Texas Officials Respond To Damage Caused By Tropical Storm Harvey" (NPR)

"Trump Meets And Tweets As Texas Gov Praises Harvey Response" (AP)