House approves $50.7 billion in Superstorm Sandy emergency relief for victims late Tuesday

House approves $50.7 billion in Superstorm Sandy emergency relief for victims late Tuesday

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

From left, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., Suffolk County NY Executive Steve Bellone, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., Rep. Steve Israel, D-NY, and Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, celebrate just after the House of Representatives passed a $ 50.7 billion emergency aid bill for states hit by Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON â€" Nearly 11 weeks after Hurricane Sandy devastated New York and New Jersey, $ 51 billion in long-delayed disaster aid cleared its biggest hurdle Tuesday night.

The House approved the money on a 241-180 vote, defeating an effort by conservative Republicans who opposed much of the spending without offsetting cuts in the federal budget.

Rep. Pete King, a Long Island Republican who spent weeks lining up the necessary support, called it “an outstanding victory for the people of New York, New Jersey and Long Island.

“It is unfortunate that we had to fight so hard to be treated the same as every other state has been treated” after a disaster, he said. “But we did fight this bias against the Northeast and thank God our residents won.”

More than 40 Queens and Long Island residents sat in the House gallery and erupted in cheers when the bill passed â€" prompting a warning by the U.S. Capitol Police to pipe down.

One of them, Paul Schubert, of Far Rockaway, Queens, lobbied Gulf states lawmakers, reminding them that the Northeast helped their states after disasters.

“I feel tired, and successful,” Schubert said. “This is not over until every home is back where it belongs.”

In the House, all but one Democrat, every Republican from New York and New Jersey and 37 other Republicans voted “yes” â€" 32 more votes than were needed.

The money will help owners of damaged or destroyed homes; cover some uninsured business losses; pay for repairs to train lines, subways, bridges and tunnels; and reimburse local governments for police and other emergency costs.

The $ 50.7 billion approved by the House Tuesday is on top of the $ 9 billion appropriated earlier this month - nearly matching the $ 60.4 billion package that President Obama proposed late last year.

Still, the long delay for the federal aid is unprecedented after a disaster.

Within 10 days of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed $ 60 billion in aid for the Gulf Coast. 

Some lawmakers who have opposed the Sandy spending had supported appropriations for their own states after disasters. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) said that those lawmakers should form a "hypocritical caucus."

"Because when you wanted the money five minutes before the storm was over, you didn't have any problem asking us," LoBiondo said Tuesday.

On storm-battered Staten Island, residents voiced relief.

“I didn’t think Democrats and Republicans could work together to pass anything any more,” said Ellis Danticat, 33. “It’s good to see them working together. Give us a little bit of hope.”

With Matthew Lysiak