Obama says he'll sign $50.5B Sandy aid bill soon

January 29, 2013 @ 12:08 am


FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, a beach front home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy rests in the sand in Bay Head, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) | Zoom
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama said he'll sign a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure for Superstorm Sandy victims as soon as it lands on his desk.

Three months after Sandy ravaged coastal areas in much of the Northeast, Obama chided lawmakers for taking their time to approve the funding even as he commended them for providing the long-awaited aid.

"So while I had hoped Congress would provide this aid sooner, I applaud the lawmakers from both parties who helped shepherd this important package though," Obama said in a statement late Monday.

Despite opposition from conservatives concerned about adding billions of dollars to the nation's debt, the Senate cleared the bill, 62-36, after House Republicans had stripped it earlier this month of spending unrelated to disasters.

"This is a huge relief," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Northeast lawmakers said the money is urgently needed to start rebuilding homes, businesses, public transportation facilities and other infrastructure damaged by the Oct. 29 storm, one of the worst to strike the Northeast. Sandy is blamed for more than 130 deaths in the U.S. and tens of billions of dollars in property damages, particularly in New York and New Jersey.

The measure is aimed primarily at helping residents and businesses as well as state and local governments rebuild from the storm. The biggest chunk of money is $16 billion for Housing and Urban Development Department community block grants. Of that, about $12.1 billion will be shared among Sandy victims as well as those from other federally declared disasters in 2011-13. The remaining $3.9 billion is solely for Sandy-related projects.

More than $11 billion will go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief aid fund for Sandy and other disasters. Another $10 billion is devoted to repairing New York and New Jersey transit systems.

Earlier in January, Congress approved and Obama signed a $9.7 billion bill to replenish the National Flood Insurance Program, which has received well over 100,000 claims related to Sandy. Added to the new, $50.5 billion package, the total is roughly in line with the $60.4 billion Obama requested in December.

The aid package was greased for passage before the last Congress adjourned and the new one came in on Jan. 3. But Speaker John Boehner refused to bring it to the floor after two-thirds of House Republicans voted against a "fiscal cliff" deficit-reduction deal raising taxes on couples making more than $450,000 a year while deferring some $24 billion in spending cuts in defense and domestic programs.

The ruckus after the Senate had passed an earlier $60.4 billion Sandy relief package by a nearly 2-to-1 margin on Dec. 28 exposed deep political divisions within Republican ranks. "There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fumed at the time.

Top House Republicans responded by bringing new Sandy aid legislation to the floor under ground rules designed to win over as many Republicans as possible while retaining support from Democrats eager to approve as much in disaster aid as possible.

GOP leaders cut spending in the Senate bill unrelated to disasters. One was to transfer $1 billion from training programs for Iraqi policemen to bolstering security at U.S. diplomatic missions. The shift in money followed a Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Also deleted was $188 million for an Amtrak expansion project that included new, long-planned tunnels from New Jersey to Penn Station in Manhattan.

As with past natural disasters, the Sandy aid bill is not offset with spending cuts, meaning the aid adds to the deficit. The lone exception is an offset provision requiring that $3.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects to protect against future storms be covered by an equal amount of unspecified spending cuts in other programs before next October.

The Senate on Monday rejected, 35-62, an attempt by conservatives to amend the final package with an offset provision to cut federal programs across the board by one-half of 1 percent through 2021.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (28)


  • Add A Comment

  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    unfortunatly
    January 4, 2013 5:49 am
    America is broke.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    i've obviously lived here too long
    January 4, 2013 5:53 am
    no one seems to mention anything about all the damage the dumbocrats have done. You all voted in the massive train wreck spender all might powerful dear special black leader Obama. What do republicans have to do with that? Not to mention you all think Dumbocrats are helping you. They are only helping destroy America financially. FOOLS!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Sick of your comments
    January 12, 2013 7:14 pm
    Get some meds or move. You are going to have a Democrat run your life for the next 12 years, you sound depressed, unhappy with life in general. Take your downer comments somewhere else.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    Cut Cut Cut
    January 14, 2013 3:27 am
    Goverment jobs
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Cut Cut Cut -
    January 14, 2013 8:30 am
    military jobs!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    And Republicans continue to prove why they are no longer needed in American society
    January 14, 2013 2:43 pm
    They are turning every single vote into a debate about a debt they are largely responsible for creating. The aid bill for Sandy Victims is not the place to stand your ground on Fiscal responsibility, if there is pork in the dang bill by all means point it out and ask that it be removed but denying the victims of this storm the needed aid to restore their states is absolute ignorance and yet another instance of republicans putting party over country. Go look a person in the eyes who's home was destroyed in this storm and tell them that they don't deserve aid. Go tell those people to their faces that even though they've spent their entire lives paying taxes that they don't deserve to have their states infrastructure restored. Do it if you really think it's not worth rebuilding our country because it's high time republicants realize that you can't tip toe the line saying that this Government's most solemn duty is to protect it's people then turn their backs on them when those very people have been decimated by a storm and need help. Republicons are pathetic. They are so irrelevent in today's society it's time they are completely removed from the political process in this country... It's time for the Republican party to be dismantled.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    So Cbrew here is some homework
    January 14, 2013 6:32 pm
    Find out how many Pork Projects were attached that had nothing to do with Sandy, but the States trying to get their pet projects done on the Govt Dole.

    Ill give you one hint to start, State of New York bridge project, On a bridge almost 300 miles away from where sandy went.

    Or do you think just taking on any ole project to something Badly needed, because you know people Have to vote for it is ok?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Boner's happy party, two-thirds of House Republicans rebelled -
    January 14, 2013 5:56 pm
    "Congress shouldn't keep passing massive `emergency' relief bills that aren't paid for, have little oversight, and are stuffed with pork". Glad that didn't happen with the cowboy's two 'wars'!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Cut Cut Cut LE pensions -
    January 14, 2013 5:57 pm
    right at home xkop!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    10 weeks 10 weeks to late -
    January 15, 2013 6:00 pm
    Cut "pensions" At least I have one CH. Let me help you out xclown - At least I HAD one CH. THANK YOU HOUSE REPUBLICANS!! "We love you women"!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    copper boy
    January 15, 2013 6:40 pm
    I didn't know retired Home Depot greeters had pensions. Learn something new every day.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }