The House approved nearly $50.6 billion in long-sought emergency aid to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday night, after Northeast lawmakers successfully added tens of billions to bring the package more in line with the White House’s initial request last month.
Thirty-eight Republicans joined 190 Democrats on the pivotal 228-192 vote, which effectively tripled the underlying $17 billion bill first recommended by the House Appropriations Committee leadership. Passage followed minutes later on a 241-180 roll call with the great majority of Republicans opposed but also powerless to stop the measure — or to cut the spending levels significantly.
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Together with flood insurance monies already approved by Congress, the total Sandy-related assistance would be close to $60.4 billion — a commitment that roughly replicates what the Senate had promised in its aid bill. That was allowed to die in the preceding Congress by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Whether measured in dollars or emotions, Tuesday’s win was huge then for the region still struggling to recover from the October superstorm. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, will be in a much stronger position now to press for quick Senate action on the new House product and despite some Democratic grumbling, it is expected to move quickly onto President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
