Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Colleagues Secure Emergency Tax Relief for Floridians Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Colleagues Secure
Emergency Tax Relief for Floridians Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Legislation passed in House starts down the path of helping those left behind, so far, by FEMA

September 15, 2005

(Washington, DC) -- Residents of Florida who suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina are one step closer to getting federal assistance in the form of emergency tax relief for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Rep. Wasserman Schultz, working with bi-partisan leadership in the House of Representatives and her colleagues from Florida, made sure that legislation passed today includes individuals from Florida affected by Hurricane Katrina.

As recently as this morning, the legislation excluded Floridians affected by Hurricane Katrina, providing emergency tax-relief only to individuals in areas designated by FEMA as eligible for individual assistance. Since FEMA has, so far, denied individual assistance for Floridians affected by Hurricane Katrina, the legislation would not have applied to them.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz, who has introduced legislation to direct FEMA to provide individual assistance to Florida's victims of Hurricane Katrina, identified the obvious injustice of the language in the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 and moved swiftly to get the oversight corrected.

Working with bi-partisan leadership; Rep. Rangel [D-NY] (Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means), Rep. Thomas [R-CA] (Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means), and Rep. McCrery [R-LA] (sponsor of the legislation) as well as Florida colleagues Rep. Foley [FL-16] (member of the Committee on Ways and Means), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [FL-25] and Rep. Shaw [FL-22] (Senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means) they were able to ensure that Floridians affected by Hurricane Katrina would be covered by this legislation. (The Committee on Ways and Means is the committee that handles tax legislation and was the committee of jurisdiction for this legislation).

"FEMA has already turned its back on hundreds of Florida families who were affected by Hurricane Katrina," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "I was not about to stand idly by as Congress prepared to do the same thing. I just think people outside of Florida don't understand the extent of the damage that Katrina caused for many Floridians."

"Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz safeguarded her constituents' interests and ensured that they did not get left behind in the Hurricane Katrina relief package passed by the House today," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. "She has once again shown what an effective and able advocate she is for the people of Florida's 20th Congressional District."

The following is a summary of the legislation Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 and the relief that it provides for Floridians affected by Hurricane Katrina:

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