Appropriations

The House rejected the amendment from Rep. Mulvaney 162-258, with 71 Republicans voting "no."

Members plan to approve the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act early Tuesday evening.

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) said his proposal to offset $17 billion in aid with spending cuts is unlikely to pass.   

The main bill provides $17 billion in relief, and an amendment made in order would add another $33.7 billion.

“Every dollar is needed. There have never been offsets before to emergency aid,” King said.

The 113th Congress is just getting started, and House lawmakers have a relatively light week coming up, while the Senate remains out of town.

The key piece of work on the slate for the House this week will be a vote on a major chunk of federal relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, via a supplemental appropriations bill. The Rules Committee is meeting Monday to set up a Tuesday vote on the House floor.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised outraged Northeast Republicans on Jan. 2 that he would make Sandy aid the first order of business in the 113th Congress, after he scuttled a vote on a $60.4 billion package in the final hours of the last Congress. The bill would provide $17 billion in aid, and an amendment offered by appropriator Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) would add another $34 billion. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) told The Hill that he plans to offer more amendments to strip out what he sees as waste in the bill. The House passed a $9.7 billion Sandy-related bill last week to shore up the National Flood Insurance Program. 

If the $34 billion amendment succeeds, it will likely be without a majority of Republican votes, and heavily reliant on Democratic backing.

The House next week will consider legislation that would make reforms to the way disaster aid is received, and members are expected to approve this bipartisan language in addition to a bill boosting aid for people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) has proposed the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act, along with another Republican and two Democrats. House Republicans have scheduled the bill as a suspension bill, a sign it has broad support and will easily be passed by a two-thirds majority next week.

House Republicans have offered up more amendments to next week's Sandy aid package, including several from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) that would strip out more than $300 million in aid.

The House will take up $17 billion Sandy relief bill, as well as a $33.7 billion amendment from Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), on Tuesday.

House Republicans have proposed three amendments to a Hurricane Sandy relief package the House will consider next week, including two that would require billions of dollars in aid to be offset with spending cuts.

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) filed his amendments on Thursday and will push for their consideration as the House takes up H.R. 152 next week. That bill would provide $17 billion in aid to people coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The Senate post overseeing more than $500 billion in annual defense spending is up for grabs once again.