House Plan Seeks $8.8 Billion in Hurricane Relief

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday proposed legislation that would provide $8.8 billion in relief for areas of South Florida and Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Andrew--$1.2 billion more than President Bush requested.

The draft proposal, by Chairman Jamie L. Whitten (D-Miss.), is expected to be considered soon by the panel and rushed through the full House. It includes a controversial Bush plan for reconstruction of storm-damaged Homestead Air Force Base, which had been earmarked for closing.

It also would provide almost $600 million more than Bush is seeking for disaster loans for hard-hit businesses, farmers and homeowners.

The emergency measure, drafted only a day after the President announced his own proposal, was evidence that congressional Democrats planned to keep their pledge to act quickly on the measure despite partisan differences on other issues.

House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) told reporters on Wednesday that the House was augmenting Bush’s proposal because Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles had said the President’s plan would be inadequate.