House readies vote on extra Sandy aid

The U.S. House will start debate Tuesday on plans that would add up to $50 billion more in relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy, as critics of the funding will have a chance to offset at least some of the spending with across-the-board budget cuts.

House GOP leaders set up a floor debate plan that first allows a vote on a $17 billion chunk of aid that has the support of Republican leaders, as well as another $33 billion package of aid that seems likely to draw wide Democratic support as well.

In other words, signs are pointing to an outcome that may well be approval of both packages of aid, which, when added to the almost $10 billion in flood insurance money approved earlier this month - would equal the $60 billion approved by the Senate just after Christmas.

(That bill ran aground when Republican leaders suddenly decided not to allow a vote on the $60.4 billion package as the last Congress wrapped up work earlier this year.)

During House debate on this additional Sandy relief money, there will be one major vote on paying for this disaster aid, as a group of GOP lawmakers will ask for an across the board budget cut of 1.63% in all discretionary accounts for defense and domestic spending (not including Medicare and Social Security).

That would offset the cost of the $17 billion aid plan; the $33 billion in aid would basically be chalked up to the budget deficit, and not paid for, which has been the standard operating procedure for years when it comes to disaster spending.

(In 2005, the Congress approved $50 billion in disaster aid money in the days after Hurricane Katrina; there were no votes held on offsetting that spending.)

As for the extra $33 billion plan designed by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), there were no votes set up for the full House that would derail the package, or add a poison pill to it.

Instead, the key vote will simply be an up-or-down vote on that money, which will certainly have a lot of support from Democrats.

(If you want to do some political Googling, make sure to read a few things about Frelinghuysen, as his family has been involved in American politics since Frederick Frelinghuysen was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 1792; he was also a member of the Continental Congress.)

The amendments approved for floor debate to the Frelinghuysen plan mainly clarify minor portions of that measure; there are no votes on offsetting budget cuts to pay for the Sandy aid.

For example, one plan would force FEMA to publicly disclose all disaster grants handed out by the agency; Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) argued relief money is wasted after a hurricane.

"Disasters happen, and many times there is a role for Washington to respond," Huelskamp said in a written statement.

"But, that does not mean we put on the blindfolds and pray that the money gets where it needs to go."

All too often that has been proven out after hurricanes, as I have covered numerous hearings over the years that have detailed how FEMA disaster aid has gone to the wrong people or been used for a lot of things other than true disaster relief.

The biggest proposed bite out of the $33 billion extra aid measure for Hurricane Sandy would be striking $13 million in money to "accelerate the National Weather Service ground readiness project" and cutting almost $10 million that would help the Fish & Wildlife Service rebuild seawalls and buildings in a Connecticut wildlife refuge.

In other words, it looks like this bill doesn't face any giant hurdles in the House.

"The underlying bill, with the addition of the Frelinghuysen amendment, will help families, businesses, and communities affected by Sandy to recover and rebuild," argued Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY).

Down at the White House, there was also strong support for both packages of Sandy aid as well.

"The Administration urges the Congress to pass a bill as soon as possible to give affected States and communities the support they need to recover and rebuild," said a release from the Office of Management and Budget, which usually uses such missives to threaten vetoes.

As for the House debate, here is the list of amendments that have been made in order for lawmakers in the House.

The first amendmetn would pay for the $17 billion initial package of aid that has the blessing of GOP leaders; the rest of the amendments are to the additional $33 billion in disaster relief proposed by Rep. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ).