Natural disasters lighten Republican attitude on deficit spending

Congress has responded to the recent onslaught of hurricanes and wildfires with more than $50 billion in disaster aid and more is on the way, reversing years of Republican resistance against unfettered federal spending.

House lawmakers on Thursday easily passed a $36.9 billion supplemental spending package to help with the recovery efforts in states ravaged by three hurricanes, as well as western states burned by devastating wildfires. The spending measure more than doubles a $15.3 billion disaster aid bill Congress cleared on Sept. 7 and came with a pledge by lawmakers in both parties that they will provide even larger funding packages in the near future to help the affected states and territories recover.