New Congress to Vote on Hurricane Sandy Aid Friday
Hours after being sworn in, the new congress will hold a vote today on the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill on which the old congress did not vote before their tenure ended.
Congress is expected to pass the first part of the bill, which will immediately allocate $9 billion to relief efforts. A second vote on the remaining $51 billion will be Jan. 15.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that it would run out of money in days to help Hurricane Sandy victims under the National Flood Insurance Program if not granted authority to borrow more money.
The decision by the former congress to not vote on the package outraged tri-state lawmakers, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Christie went so far as saying, "That is why people hate Washington, D.C."
The public outcry essentially forced the new congress to act quickly into its term.