Rep. Thompson says house passed disaster relief bill today

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa. Photo courtesy of Twitter account @RepThompson on Oct. 12, 2017.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, said the U.S. House of Representatives today passed a $36.5 billion emergency relief bill that provides money for Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and other natural disasters.

The vote was 353-69. The bill is expected to go to the Senate later this month.

Thompson, speaking at a news conference this afternoon at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds about the fires burning in the North Bay, said the bill includes $19 billion for hurricane and wildfire relief.

That amount includes "a very last minute" addition of funding for California "because of this devastating fire we are experiencing," Thompson said.