Blunt speaks on Senate floor about Joplin damages
Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo., spoke on the U.S. Senate floor this afternoon about Joplin's damages and the donations that have been sent to help the town rebuild. Blunt strongly encouraged the federal government to reimburse Missouri taxpayers 100 percent for the damages residents suffered from the tornado.
Although Gov. Nixon and politicians including Blunt have been pushing for 100 percent reimbursement, the federal government is currently discussing 90 percent. In Blunt's speech, he encouraged the government to make the rest of the 10 percent jump and compared the situation to Hurricane Katrina, urging the federal government to respond in the same manner.
A myriad of companies have given money to relief organizations' efforts to restore Joplin, including: the St. Louis Cardinals who donated $25,000 to Convoy of Hope, the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs who each gave $35,000 to relief organizations, Target who donated $95,000, Sprint who is based in Kansas City and gave $100,000, AT&T and Verizon who each gave $50,000, and Tamko who donated $1,000,000 to the Red Cross. Blunt also said girl scouts in Houston have been collecting toys to send to Joplin.
Aside from relief organizations, Blunt recognized MU for its T-shirt sale proceeds that have all been donated to Joplin as well as the MU Tigers football team and other local groups who helped fill trucks with food to send to the area.
"Mr. President, our team is doing what they can do," Blunt said on the Senate floor. "It is truly a disaster, and I'll be working with everything we can find to make this situation a challenge that the community can meet."