Republicans Demand Offsets For Sandy Aid

05:56

December 13, 2012

In this Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 file photo, waves wash over a roller coaster from a Seaside Heights, N.J. amusement park that fell in the Atlantic Ocean during superstorm Sandy. (AP/Mike Groll)

As the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut push for Washington lawmakers to quickly pass $60 billion to help people recover from Superstorm Sandy, some Republicans are demanding that, before they vote on the aid money, the same amount should be cut elsewhere in the budget.

They point towards a Congressional Budget Office report showing that only about $9 billion would immediately be spent on recovery. Meanwhile, two Colorado Democrats filed legislation yesterday asking for Colorado to use some of the Sandy aid money, to recover from wildfires this past summer.

Congressional Budget Office: Read the whole Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013
Yahoo! News: Senate seeks $60 billion Sandy aid, Republicans eye smaller bill
NJ.com: Hurricane Sandy disaster aid for N.J. expected to flow in slowly
Washington Post: We need Congress’s help on Sandy relief
Coloradoan: Obama's Sandy aid package has money Colorado could use to clean up its watersheds

Guest:

David Lawder, Reuters Washington correspondent

This segment aired on December 13, 2012.