House might split Sandy aid for votes

[Draggingtree]

The Hill:

House might split Sandy aid for votes

By Erik Wasson - 12/31/12 05:44 PM ET

The House might vote Tuesday on two bills that would provide emergency spending to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy, GOP lawmakers said.

The Senate last week passed a $60.4 billion Sandy relief package, but many Republicans consider the bill bloated even though the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut asked for $80 billion.

 

Members said that the House is looking at splitting the Senate bill into components for votes on New Year's Day. Senior GOP aides cautioned that the plan is not final.

 

There would be a vote on a $27 billion package of essential spending to meet immediate needs, and a vote on a separate, $33 billion bill, appropriator Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) told

[Valin]

@Draggingtree

 

House panel blocks most GOP attempts to trim Sandy disaster-relief bill

Pete Kasperowicz

01/14/13

 

The Republican-led House Rules Committee late Monday approved a rule for a massive Hurricane Sandy relief package that shuts out most GOP proposals to pare back the size of the bill.

 

The main bill provides $17 billion in relief, and an amendment made in order would add another $33.7 billion, for a total of $50.7 billion.

 

Late last week, Republicans offered amendments that would trim the bill significantly, but few of those were made "in order" by the Rules Committee on Monday. For example, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) proposed amendments that would have slashed $22 billion from the total package, but none of them were accepted by the committee.

 

(Snip)