A $60 billion bill passed the U.S. Senate and a $27 billion bill was in a U.S. House committee. The congressional session ends Thursday and legislation that wasn't passed will need to be reintroduced.
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Those hoping to get federal assistance to clean up after Superstorm Sandy will have to wait until the next Congress to find out how much they will get.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said late Tuesday he was told by the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had decided to abandon a vote this session.
Cantor, who sets the House schedule, did not immediately comment. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that just before Tuesday evening’s vote on “fiscal cliff” legislation, Cantor told him that he was “99.9 percent confident that this bill would be on the floor, and that’s what he wanted.”
A spokesman for Boehner, Michael Steel, said, “The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month.”
In remarks on the House floor, King called the decision “absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities.”
New York politicians weren't the only ones complaining.
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey called the decision "inexcusable." Other New Jersey lawmakers were equally blunt.
"Denying emergency aid to Superstorm Sandy victims is a new low for House Republicans," U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said. "When our neighbors in other states are knocked down by emergency events, we put partisan politics aside and extend a helping hand to help them get back up. Helping struggling families recover from disasters has never been a partisan issue in Washington and it never should be. New Jersey and New York families have been hurt badly by Sandy and it is shameful that Washington Republicans are adding to their pain by standing in the way of their recovery."
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, a Democrat who represents southern Hunterdon County until Thursday, was equally agitated.
“In other disasters, such as the disaster associated with Katrina or with wildfires or with any number of other natural disasters, this body has acted, and aid has been provided quickly," Holt said today on the House floor. "And yet today, the speaker is going to allow the 112th Congress to adjourn before passing the much-needed disaster relief package.
"The Senate acted on this bill. The aid package here was well-constructed; it was ready; all we needed was a vote. And the delay is significant. It adds significantly to the hurt. It is not an exaggeration to say that lives are on the line. People are living wherever they can. They don’t have the shelter. They don’t have the businesses. They don’t have their lives. And the speaker just walks away. ... The delay compounds the disaster."
U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon/Warren, will withhold comment until the New York and New Jersey delegations meet with Boehner at 3 this afternoon, his spokeswoman said.
The Senate approved a $60.4 billion measure Friday to help with recovery from the October storm that devastated parts of New York, New Jersey and nearby states. The House Appropriations Committee has drafted a smaller, $27 billion measure, and a vote had been expected before Congress’ term ends Thursday at noon.
There is still FEMA money available
More than $2 billion in federal funds has been spent so far on relief efforts for 11 states and the District of Columbia struck by the storm, one of the worst ever to hit the Northeast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund still has about $4.3 billion, enough to pay for recovery efforts into early spring, according to officials. The unspent FEMA money can only be used for emergency services, said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J.
"It has been said, 'Well, FEMA has some money already in their account that will last for many weeks," Holt said. "But we’re not just talking about FEMA. We’re talking about HUD – more than a billion dollars, actually billions, of housing aid. The Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Agriculture Department for food and emergency watershed protection, the EPA for safe drinking water – all of this was in this well-constructed package.
"Now, it’s often been said that the governing principle of the Republican leadership is, 'You’re on your own.' And that might actually be a conscientious principle if they really believe in their hearts that your Social Security should be privately invested or you should pay for a college without government help. But this – to say 'you’re on your own' after a disaster is inconsiderate, it breaks our trust, it violates an understanding, and it hurts people."
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are receiving federal aid.
Sandy was blamed for at least 120 deaths and battered coastline areas from North Carolina to Maine. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were the hardest hit states and suffered high winds, flooding and storm surges. The storm damaged or destroyed more than 72,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. In New York, 305,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed and more than 265,000 businesses were affected.
“This is an absolute disgrace and the speaker should hang his head in shame,” said Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.