Sandy aid bill approved $ 60.4 billion
Senate Friday approved a $ 60.4 billion emergency spending package of aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy supported by Senate Democrats.
Democrats had to turn back Republican efforts to programs as $ 150 million in aid to fisheries Republican lawmakers said was not related to the storm that hammered the East Coast in late October cut. The measure was the Senate on a 62-32 vote with 12 Republicans supporting the bill. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Was the only Democrat to vote against the bill, but he later changed his vote to support the measure.
The bill is uncertain prospects in the House, where GOP leaders apparently not prepared to respond quickly to a large spending bill in the final days of a lame duck session. Congressional attention is focused on discussions about the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts.
Senate Republicans have not a change to a smaller package of about $ 24 billion in aid to Sandy, who was the most expensive natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and one of the worst storms ever in the northeast.
House GOP leaders have not said how they intend to proceed. But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers of Kentucky said Congress should probably start with a smaller aid package for immediate repair needs and wait until more data can be collected on storm damage prior approval of extra money next year.
Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential candidate and a leading House fiscally conservative, have criticized the Democratic bill as "full funding of no elements, such as commercial fishing in American Samoa and roof repair of museums in Washington, DC"
Senator Charles Schumer, DN.Y., called on House leaders "this bill quickly on site and a voice as possible." If the House of beams, said Schumer Senate bill provides "very good process" to seek help Sandy next year.
Senate Republicans said much of the spending in the Democratic bill was for projects not related to Sandy, including $ 150 million for fisheries disaster that could go to Alaska and Gulf Coast and New England. Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Insert fishing financing strip, but his amendment failed.
For the right vote last week, Democrats extended certain provisions in their bill for damage from Hurricane Isaac, which hit the Gulf Coast earlier this year to cover. A provision was added to the $ 2.9 billion allocated Army Corps of Engineers projects for future flood risks to limit the scope of the program will now also areas by Isaac out of Sandy. Democrats also moved $ 400 million in community development programs for regions disasters outside the areas affected by Sandy.
Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about $ 9 billion to $ 60.4 billion by the Democrats would be spent over the next nine months. The Democratic bill contained many large infrastructure projects often take years to complete, but Republicans said the CBO estimate of these spun spending undermines the urgency of Democrats' stimulus package.
More than $ 2 billion in federal funds spent so far on support for 11 states and the District of Columbia. FEMA has disaster fund still has about $ 4.3 billion, and officials have said it is enough to pay for the restoration effort in the early spring.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts receives federal support.
Senate Friday approved a $ 60.4 billion emergency spending package of aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy supported by Senate Democrats.
Democrats had to turn back Republican efforts to programs as $ 150 million in aid to fisheries Republican lawmakers said was not related to the storm that hammered the East Coast in late October cut. The measure was the Senate on a 62-32 vote with 12 Republicans supporting the bill. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Was the only Democrat to vote against the bill, but he later changed his vote to support the measure.
The bill is uncertain prospects in the House, where GOP leaders apparently not prepared to respond quickly to a large spending bill in the final days of a lame duck session. Congressional attention is focused on discussions about the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts.
Senate Republicans have not a change to a smaller package of about $ 24 billion in aid to Sandy, who was the most expensive natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and one of the worst storms ever in the northeast.
House GOP leaders have not said how they intend to proceed. But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers of Kentucky said Congress should probably start with a smaller aid package for immediate repair needs and wait until more data can be collected on storm damage prior approval of extra money next year.
Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential candidate and a leading House fiscally conservative, have criticized the Democratic bill as "full funding of no elements, such as commercial fishing in American Samoa and roof repair of museums in Washington, DC"
Senator Charles Schumer, DN.Y., called on House leaders "this bill quickly on site and a voice as possible." If the House of beams, said Schumer Senate bill provides "very good process" to seek help Sandy next year.
Senate Republicans said much of the spending in the Democratic bill was for projects not related to Sandy, including $ 150 million for fisheries disaster that could go to Alaska and Gulf Coast and New England. Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Insert fishing financing strip, but his amendment failed.
For the right vote last week, Democrats extended certain provisions in their bill for damage from Hurricane Isaac, which hit the Gulf Coast earlier this year to cover. A provision was added to the $ 2.9 billion allocated Army Corps of Engineers projects for future flood risks to limit the scope of the program will now also areas by Isaac out of Sandy. Democrats also moved $ 400 million in community development programs for regions disasters outside the areas affected by Sandy.
Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about $ 9 billion to $ 60.4 billion by the Democrats would be spent over the next nine months. The Democratic bill contained many large infrastructure projects often take years to complete, but Republicans said the CBO estimate of these spun spending undermines the urgency of Democrats' stimulus package.
More than $ 2 billion in federal funds spent so far on support for 11 states and the District of Columbia. FEMA has disaster fund still has about $ 4.3 billion, and officials have said it is enough to pay for the restoration effort in the early spring.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts receives federal support.
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