An hour before Northeast residents celebrate Congress' final approval of Sandy relief funds this evening, senators will be asked to determine how they intend to pay for the $50 billion the bill would provide.
In a two-vote series expected to begin around 5:30 p.m. today, senators will consider an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would call for offsets, spread through fiscal 2021, to pay for the measure. A vote on the bill's final passage would follow.
Lawmakers from the Northeast, representing areas badly hit by the superstorm, say Lee's amendment is a tool to delay the relief funds. Lee and several allies disagree, contending the amendment would raise awareness about what they say has been Washington's erratic spending.
Lee's attempt is not expected to garner the requisite 60 votes for adoption, just as similar calls to offset the bill two weeks ago in the House were shot down.
However, because millions of dollars that the bill would provide for various agencies would not directly assist superstorm victims, several conservative organizations and prominent watchdog groups have been urging lawmakers to rethink aspects of the Sandy supplemental. They agree with Lee, arguing some provisions are nonemergency funds. "Pork" is another way they describe it.
As the conservative Club for Growth put it: "Instead of passing a pork-filled bill packed with non-emergency spending items, Congress should pass a disaster relief-only bill that is fully offset."
The Congressional Budget Office has noted the bill's total cost would come to about $50.5 billion. The watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense, highlighting various provisions, such as $200 million for weather forecasting programs, says the measure amounts to "a cynical attempt to take advantage of the emergency to fund projects" by bypassing Congress' annual appropriations process.
Over the years, Congress' modus operandi has been to not offset emergency appropriations, like the Hurricane Katrina disaster bill. Northeast lawmakers expecting similar action shortly after Sandy destroyed several coastal communities in October were not prepared for push-back.
Nowadays, the talk on Capitol Hill is about spending: A group of Republicans oppose funding certain federal programs, while some Democrats back those same programs. And the Sandy supplemental is the latest battleground for that ongoing debate.
By allowing a vote on Lee's amendment, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appears to be appeasing both sides, for now. Fiscal hawks will get their say. If Lee's amendment is rejected and the bill garners 60 or more votes, the unamended measure heads to the president's desk. That would grant agencies and state officials immediate access to various emergency funds.
Under the bill, the Northeast corridor's rail system and the tri-state area's transit programs would receive $10.9 billion through funds provided to the Federal Transit Administration. The Federal Highway Administration would receive $2 billion, and the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund would be provided $50 million. The Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund would receive $5 million and the Smithsonian Institution $2 million.
New York and New Jersey government leaders have appeared agitated and frustrated over not being able to show constituents federal assistance. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) tells residents the federal aid would help rebuild roads, infrastructure and the Jersey Shore's popular boardwalks.
Shore towns such as Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights and Belmar saw their boardwalks wash away into the Atlantic Ocean after Sandy. Construction crews are trying to have those boardwalks ready by the Memorial Day holiday, the official start of the beach season in the state.
Belmar has had a boardwalk every summer since 1875. A new boardwalk there is expected to cost about $16 million, not including amenities and road repairs.
"As much as any other town on the Jersey Shore, Belmar's boardwalk is a huge part of its identity, its charm and its economic life," Christie said recently. "Most of us who've lived in New Jersey long enough have or will walk that boardwalk at one time or another."
For years, Belmar's smooth boardwalk has been a critical training site for thousands of high school runners in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The mile-long esplanade simulates typical straightaways that harriers encounter in the fall cross-country season.
Acknowledging the boardwalk's significance, Belmar Mayor Matthew Doherty vowed to have it ready "in time for this summer."
Written by: Eugene Mulero
Original Publication URL: http://eenews.net/EEDaily/2013/01/28/archive/3?terms=Disaster+aid+could+reach+president%27s+desk+today
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