Why The Fights Over Disaster Relief In Congress Keep Getting Worse

All week, Congress has been bickering over a $60 billion aid package for super-storm Sandy. It started when the House GOP failed to take up the bill last session, triggering angry outbursts from Republicans in the Northeast. ”Shame on you. Shame on Congress,” said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
The dispute is now slowly getting resolved. The House passed the first $9.7 billion piece of aid Friday, largely to cover flood-insurance claims. Lawmakers will then hold a vote on the larger, $51 billion chunk of relief Jan. 15., though many Republicans are still skeptical of that bigger bill.

At this point, though, it’s worth stepping back and noting that these sorts of disaster-aid fights in Congress have become much more high-stakes over the past decade. According to a new report by the New York Fed, the federal government now plays a far bigger role in hurricane relief than it used to:

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