WASHINGTON — A single House Republican again blocked final passage of a long-delayed emergency aid package, the second Republican in a week to use the power of an individual lawmaker to ensure the delay of relief for communities and farmers still recovering from natural disasters. House Democrats tried for a second time on Tuesday to use a procedural vote to pass a Senate-approved $19.1 billion package while most lawmakers are spending a weeklong recess outside of Washington. But Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, used the power of a single lawmaker to object to the vote, pushing for the full chamber to be present to vote on legislation. “If the speaker felt that this was must-pass legislation,” Mr. Massie said, “the speaker should have called a vote before sending members home.”When Representative Sanford Bishop, Democrat of Georgia, tried a second time to bring up “an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program,” Mr. Massie objected a second time.

Source: New York Times May 28, 2019 18:18 UTC