Sandy Supplemental Timing Uncertain

Following several procedural maneuvers on the Senate floor, consideration of the supplemental appropriation bill for Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts continues.  Under Senate rules, the next step would be a cloture vote to continue debate on the bill.  The cloture vote would require 60 votes to pass.  However, there is no guarantee that a cloture vote will occur. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) must make the decision to move forward with a cloture vote or have a vote on both the $60.4 billion aid package, a Republican alternative bill of about $24 billion offered by Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and other amendments. Republicans in the House remain skeptical of the funding levels in the bill and are waiting on the Senate to pass the bill before they decide how to proceed.  There remains the potential that the disaster assistance supplemental could be part of a larger fiscal cliff package, should a deal be struck on the fiscal cliff before the end of 2012. AGC and our members are encouraged to contact their Senators and Representatives and urge them to pass the Hurricane Sandy Emergency Disaster Supplemental. For more information, click here. For more information, please contact Sean O’Neill at (202) 547-8892 or oneills@agc.org.