House Finally Approves Full Sandy Aid Package

Well, it took a verbal smack down from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and an all out general hatred of Congress for it to happen, but Congress finally did their jobs Tuesday night and passed the $50.7 billion aid package for Superstorm Sandy relief according to a report in the New York Times.

The effort passed 241 to 180, with 49 Republican lawmakers responsibly crossing party lines to join the 192 Democrats in favor of the measure. Congress had already passed a $10 billion aid package earlier this month, bringing the total aid package north of $60 billion.

Sixty billion is a large number, but still short of the total $82 billion in damages calculated by the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Still, the money will go a long way to in helping the area get back on its feet, according to the Times:

The emergency aid measure would help homeowners whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, provide assistance to business owners who experienced losses as well as reinforce shorelines, repair subway and commuter rail systems, fix bridges and tunnels, and reimburse local governments for emergency expenditures.

As we’ve previously reported, much of the recovery for home and business owners cannot begin until the Federal FEMA money starts rolling into people’s hands. Hopefully, the passage of this bill will set off a wave of rebuilding.