The Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) this week announced another $500 million in aid for Puerto Rico, more than half of which will pay to restore power and water.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a $36.5 billion spending package to keep aid funds flowing to Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California.

The Bill passed on a vote of 82 to 17 after some wrangling over whether the bill should include reforms to an old rule (The Jones Act) that restricts shipments between U.S. ports to vessels built and run by Americans – regulations that some argue increases shipping costs from the mainland to the Puerto Rico.

Last week, Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz threatened to hold up the vote on the disaster package, saying more money was needed for communities still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.

In the end, they did not try to stall the vote.

The spending plan still requires President Donald Trump's Signature.

Read More:

• Congress Approves Another Round Of Hurricane, Wildfire Funding (Washington Post)
• Senate Advances $36.5B Disaster Relief Package (Associated Press)
• GOP Senators Hold Up Disaster Aid Over Puerto Rico Concerns (Politico)
• Foraging For Food, Water And Hope: Puerto Ricans Cope With Lingering Devastation Of Hurricane Maria (Los Angeles Times)