Congress Passes $51.8B Katrina Relief Bill

[LTR]

WASHINGTON - Acting with extraordinary speed, Congress approved an additional $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina on Thursday. President Bush pledged to make it "easy and simple as possible" for uncounted, uprooted storm victims to collect food stamps and other government benefits.

"We're not asking for a handout, but we do need help," said Sen. Trent Lott — whose home state of Mississippi suffered grievously from the storm — as lawmakers approved the bill just a day after Bush requested more aid on top of the $10.5 billion already provided. The measure includes $2,000 debit cards for families to use on immediate needs.

Bush signed the bill Thursday night. In a statement issued by the White House, he praised Congress for "moving swiftly and in strong bipartisan fashion to approve these additional emergency funds" but cautioned: "More resources will be needed as we work to help people get back on their feet."

The overwhelming support for the measure across party lines — it passed 410-11 in the House and 97-0 in the Senate — masked murmurs of concern about a rapidly rising price tag as well as a growing atmosphere of political jockeying in Congress less than two weeks after the hurricane battered the Gulf Coast.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050909/ap_on_go_co/katrina_washington;_ylt=AqoP2_IQyAqyrT.NjlT.ERVI2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[napi21]

1. Sure did, with NO OVerSITE on how this $$ is going to be spent!

Sure sounds like a great deal to me! The majority of this $$, $50 Billion of it, is going to FEMA! Now, so far they've managed to screw up the response time, won't let churches and private donors help anybody, and screwed up the $2,000 debit card program! But that's OK, Shrub said Brownie was doing a great job!!!!!!!!

[tuvor]

2. How much to halliburton? n/t

[high density]

3. I hope it has more incentives for the oil companies

That poor, struggling industry has been so hard hit by the aftermath of the hurricane.

[shanti]

4. do you hear that giant sucking sound?

yep, that's it :-(

[LibertyLou]

5. It goes to FEMA!!!

No kidding.Political hack appointments, corruption, more looting of the US taxpayer dollar. It not even well hidden anymore.

[AtomicKitten]

6. And 11 Evil Republicans Voted Against It

Rep. Joe Barton - TX

Jeff Flake - AZ

Virginia Foxx - NC

Scott Garrett - NJ

John Hostettler - IN

Steve King - IA

Butch Otter - ID

Ron Paul - TX

James Sensenbrenner - WI

Tom Tancredo - CO

Lynn Westmoreland - GA

[Sven77]

7. i would vote against it too.

fema gets $50 billion ? after jamming radio, cutting police communication lines, stopping aid from getting in, stopping citizens from getting out. these fema guys get to control the money ? i would have voted against it too.

[AtomicKitten]

8. Hell, it's not going to Halliburton.

Don't punch a hole in my hope these people might get something!