GOP amendments could derail Sandy aid again

Buckle up: The Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill could be in trouble. Again.

At least that's what some House Republicans fear. Or hope, depending on whom you ask.

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Republican leadership plans some legislative jujitsu to pass the Sandy bill, and top Republican aides say they are likely to allow amendments that would call for offsets or spending reductions to a package expected to total around $50 billion.

Northeastern Republicans and Democrats may be able to beat back those amendments ? but if they can?t, that would complicate the bill's hopes for swift passage through the Senate.

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And that could jeopardize assurances from leadership to Northeast Republicans from affected areas, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Reps. Peter King and Michael Grimm. Grimm and King exhibited confidence this week that the $50 billion package would advance, mostly with Democratic backing. But that calculus was done for a ?clean? bill, not one with spending offsets requested by some conservatives.

Congress has already provided nearly $10 billion to refill the federal flood insurance program?s coffers, but King and Christie were incensed that Congress did not go further before the 112th Congress expired. The Senate passed a bill providing $60 billion in aid, but the House declined to take it up. Christie, King and Grimm all criticized House leadership for the decision, but they have since softened with the expectation that in the end the two states will get their money.

The House leadership plan would go like this: First, the House plans to call up a bill by Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) that totals $27 billion in relief. Then, it will immediately amend?the bill to deduct the $9.7 billion in flood relief passed before Congress recessed ? bringing the bill's total to $17 billion.

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Amendments will be allowed ? including spending reduction amendments ? and then the House will vote on passage of the Rogers amendment. This would set up $17 billion to be sent to the Senate.

But then leadership will allow Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) to offer an amendment that offers an additional $33 billion. Republicans think this can pass as well.

But efforts by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), who abstained from voting for John Boehner for speaker, could change the equation.

The South Carolinian has already offered multiple amendments seeking spending offsets, which if made in order could seriously complicate the pledge of Majority Leader Eric Cantor to move the legislation quickly.

Mulvaney has teamed with conservative Reps. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) to offer a bill that would offset Rogers?s $17 billion piece with an across-the-board discretionary spending cut of 1.6 percent ? a non-starter in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Mulvaney and McClintock have also submitted a separate proposal with new Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise (R-La.) to pay for the Rogers bill by killing transit subsidies for federal employees, eliminating the Agriculture Direct Payment Program and prohibiting further obligations to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Mulvaney has also put forth an amendment ? co-sponsored by New Jersey Republican Rep. Scott Garrett ? that would require an audit by the Government Accountability Office to determine whether federal disaster money for Sandy relief was used appropriately.

More offset amendments may be on the way. The deadline for submissions is Friday afternoon, and potential alterations?to the bill began showing up only late Thursday. The House Rules Committee will meet Monday to decide whether Mulvaney?s provisions will be ruled in order to receive a vote by the full House.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 7:47 p.m. on January 10, 2013.

Source: http://feeds.politico.com/click.phdo?i=e8f239ff856dbe95ae2a4e329bef6655

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