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Conservatives try to cut Sandy aid

WASHINGTON — House conservatives opposed to more deficit spending tried Monday to chip away at the $50.7 billion Hurricane Sandy aid package by requiring offsetting spending cuts to pay for recovery efforts and by stripping money for projects they say are unrelated to the Oct. 29 storm or not urgently needed.

The push by budget hawks for amendments sets up a fight with Northeast lawmakers in both parties eager to provide recovery aid for one of the worst storms ever to strike the region as the House moves toward expected votes Tuesday.

The base $17 billion bill by the House Appropriations Committee is aimed at immediate Sandy recovery needs, including $5.4 billion for New York and New Jersey transit systems and $5.4 billion for Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief aid fund. Northeast lawmakers will have a chance to add to that bill with an amendment by Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, Republican of New Jersey, for an additional $33.7 billion, including $10.9 billion for public transportation projects.

The Club for Growth, a conservative group, on Monday urged lawmakers to oppose both Sandy aid measures.

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‘‘Congress shouldn’t keep passing massive ‘emergency’ relief bills that aren’t paid for, have little oversight, and are stuffed with pork,’’ the group said in a statement.

Sandy aid supporters, nonetheless, voiced confidence Monday they would prevail. The Senate passed a $60.4 billion Sandy aid package in December with bipartisan support. ‘‘We have more than enough votes, I’m confident of that,’’ said Representative Peter King, Republican of New York, claiming a base of strong support from Democrats as well as Republicans from the Northeast and other states for both the base $17 billion bill and the amendment for the additional $33.7 billion.

The House Rules Committee Monday night approved 13 amendments for floor consideration, including one requiring spending offsets and four seeking to strike money for some projects not directly related to Sandy or not seen as emergency spending.

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As with past natural disasters, the $50.7 billion Sandy aid package does not provide for offsetting spending cuts, meaning the aid comes at the cost of higher deficits. The lone exception is an offset provision in the Frelinghuysen amendment requiring that the $3.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects to protect against future storms be paid for by cuts elsewhere in the fiscal year 2013 budget.

Associated Press