Disaster Aid

Talk of a federal government shutdown is escalating as Congress appears unable to resolve a dispute over federal disaster aid, with Republicans insisting that assistance be paid for with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget. Days remain for Congress to end the stalemate or risk shutting down the federal government. The disaster aid is included in a broader bill to fund the government for the first weeks of the 2012 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. “Nobody's intending to bring about a government shutdown,” said Republican Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House majority leader.

Masako Unoura-Tanaka fears that the world will forget the horror of March 11, 2011, when 100-foot-tall swells barreled into northeastern Japan. The tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9 quake, killed more than 18,000 people and battered nuclear reactors in Fukushima, setting off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. Unoura-Tanaka had been visiting relatives in coastal Kesennuma that day and escaped by abandoning her vehicle and climbing to the top of a four-story building. "When I was on the roof, I was watching these ladies," she said.

After a stunning defeat, House Republican leaders are considering dropping or changing their requirement that disaster aid be paid for with spending cuts elsewhere. Republican leaders are racing the clock to avoid a government shutdown after their spending bill for the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct.1, was rejected in a surprise setback. They insisted on spending cuts to cover aid for victims of Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters. Democrats soundly rejected that approach.

WASHINGTON -- Congress sent a a $50.5-billion relief bill to President Obama on Monday help the Northeast recover from Superstorm Sandy, ending a political furor over delays in the disaster aid. The measure cleared the Senate, 62-36. Its approval, after the president earlier this month signed a $9.7-billion flood insurance bill to help pay Sandy damage claims, would bring the relief package to more than $60 billion. "It was three months ago that Superstorm Sandy tore up the East Coast," Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.)

TAMPA, Fla. -- The small-government ideals that have defined the GOP as the party opens its convention here are running into the big-government needs brought on by Tropical Storm Isaac. One Republican, Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, called on President Obama on Monday to issue a disaster declaration, unleashing the federal aid that follows, as the hurricane churned toward the Gulf Coast. "State and local governments need every tool and resource available to respond to this rapidly approaching hurricane,” Vitter said in a statement.

Parks and Coke Re " Coke contest could save beach ," Aug. 29, and "Park won't close for two months," Aug. 31 First of all, one clap to Coca-Cola for spreading its pocket change in a somewhat positive direction with this program. My question is: Why set up a contest that begs to be exploited with "vote as many times as you can"? Oak Park, in Minot, N.D., is leading the contest to win $100,000. Minot's population is about 40,000; the park has almost 3 million votes.

Redwood fans Re " A tale of grape vs. redwood ," Aug. 25 If you ever wished for a sneak peek into a businessperson's understanding of environmental issues, look no further than these two quotes from the article. (Be warned, some viewers may find the content disturbing.): "This is not a plan to build a mall. They're talking about growing grapes. " And then the real humdinger: "These forests can be cleared and preserved at the same time. " A visit to a dictionary is in order; first up, "ecosystem," followed by "monoculture.

With federal disaster aid about to run out, the Democratic-led Senate will seek to advance a $6-billion package for victims of Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters, despite GOP opposition to providing emergency assistance unless it is paid for with spending cuts elsewhere. The Senate action would replenish depleted accounts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has begun prioritizing aid. But the move escalates a confrontation with House Republicans, whose leaders have resisted allocating more money for emergency aid without comparable offsets elsewhere in the budget.

President Clinton announced Friday that seven counties in Mississippi will be eligible for federal disaster relief aid because of a severe ice storm that hit the state last week.

President Reagan today declared a major disaster for Pennsylvania as a result of the extensive tornado damage last Friday.

WASHINGTON - House Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday set a Jan. 15 vote on a Superstorm Sandy relief bill after enraged Northeast politicians - including Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, a fellow Republican - blasted the speaker for skipping action on disaster aid in the final hours of the current Congress. Boehner scheduled the vote after a parade of officials from storm-ravaged New York, New Jersey and Connecticut criticized the Ohio Republican for refusing to allow a vote on a $60-billion aid package before the end of this congressional session.

WASHINGTON - Enraged over Congress' failure to approve disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey unloaded Wednesday on House Speaker John A. Boehner and Republican lawmakers in Washington for putting "palace intrigue" ahead of their official responsibilities. Washington politicians "will say whatever they have to say to get through the day," Christie said, adding that, as a governor, he had "actual responsibilities" -- "unlike people in Congress.

WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday proposed $60 billion in spending to help the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states recover from Superstorm Sandy and shore up defenses against future disasters. Congress is expected to begin consideration of the relief measure as soon as next week, with lawmakers from states still reeling from the October storm eager for action by the end of the year. The White House budget office said in a letter to congressional leaders that its request "ensures urgent and essential needs are being met, while recognizing the need to prevent losses of this magnitude from future disasters.

WASHINGTON -- They brought photos of the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. They brought statistics -- more than 300,000 homes seriously damaged in New York alone, for example. And Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) brought a newspaper headline: "U.S. Denies Aid to Md. Storm Victims. " Senators from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic made appeals Wednesday for swift congressional action on a disaster aid bill expected to run into tens of billions of dollars. The White House is expected to send a spending bill to Capitol Hill this week.

WASHINGTON -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's endorsement of President Obama on the same day that Washington pledged to pay the full cost of providing emergency power and public transportation to the storm-battered city is drawing charges of "political payback" from a Kansas congressman. "It smacks of cronyism that within hours of being granted a special level of federal reimbursement in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg announces his endorsement of President Barack Obama," Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a Republican, said in a statement posted on his website.

President Obama has signed major-disaster declarations for parts New York and New Jersey, sending additional government aid to those waking up to the mess left behind by Cyclone Sandy. The designation makes new federal dollars available to those living in the areas most battered by the storm. That includes direct grants to individuals for temporary housing and home repair, and low-cost loans to help cover property damage not covered by insurance. It also makes federal money available to help local governments remove debris and cover emergency services.

A dispute over disaster aid has quickly grown into another partisan standoff that threatens to shut down the federal government, with no clear indication of how Congress will end the stalemate. The Senate on Friday overwhelmingly rejected a House-passed bill to temporarily fund the government and provide emergency aid for victims of Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters. But it also would have cut green energy programs supported by Democrats. The Senate voted 59 to 36 against the measure.

Because of the continuing threat of mudslides, the deadline for people affected by the fire last fall to apply for disaster aid has been extended to April 26. Rain-related problems in Laguna Beach, Malibu and other areas where soil erosion is a concern prompted federal officials to extend the filing period for disaster relief, which was originally scheduled to end last Friday.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The small-government ideals that have defined the GOP as the party opens its convention here are running into the big-government needs brought on by Tropical Storm Isaac. One Republican, Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, called on President Obama on Monday to issue a disaster declaration, unleashing the federal aid that follows, as the hurricane churned toward the Gulf Coast. "State and local governments need every tool and resource available to respond to this rapidly approaching hurricane,” Vitter said in a statement.

Bringing a tense debate to a quiet close, the House approved legislation Tuesday to fund the government and replenish disaster aid into next month, ending for now the threat of a government shutdown. The House voted 352 to 66 to fund the government through Nov. 18. At that time, Congress is expected to be at a standoff again as conservative Republicans push for deeper cuts and policy changes that will run into resistance from Democrats. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)