Obama signs $50.5B Superstorm Sandy aid bill

President Barack Obama, accompanied by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie meets with local residents at the Brigantine Beach Community Center in Brigantine, NJ., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Obama traveled to Atlantic Coast to see first-hand the relief efforts after Superstorm Sandy damage the Atlantic Coast. / AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama has signed into law a $50.5 billion emergency measure for Superstorm Sandy victims.

Congress gave the measure its final approval late Monday. Obama signed it Tuesday night, minutes after returning to the White House from a visit to Nevada.

• $50.5B Sandy aid package clears Congress

It took Congress three months after Sandy devastated areas along the East Coast to approve the emergency funding. Obama scolded lawmakers for delaying recovery efforts even as he commended them for providing the long-awaited aid.

Conservatives concerned about billions in debt opposed the measure. Earlier this month, House Republicans removed unrelated spending from the bill.

The Oct. 29 storm was one of the worst to strike the Northeast and is blamed for more than 130 deaths and tens of billions of dollars in property damage.

[dustin96v]

Severe thunderstorms with tornado warnings stretch from Alabama to Pennsylvania. Citizens in the Southeast and Northeast should be careful of floods and high winds.

[disinterested-3rd-party]

Another chapter in the great American money giveaway, charged to our kids.

[dustin96v]

Hey Disinterested, you must have bird shi'it for spit. Try a state lottery for better luck.

[skyper12]

Interesting how the GOP always funds the south's reconstruction after a disaster. ANd god is made as hell at the south with one disaster after another. GOP wanted off setting cuts for Sandy AId yet require none when the south is hit- again. Dems should require a tax increase on the rich for the next funding of another southern god incurred disaster!

[littleredtop]

Why is it that the "rich" choose to live in the North?

[chipndale610]

What the hell are you taking about. What a bonehead....

[iCi2i_befree]

I want to know why the President has his finger in that guy's face. Come on CBS, give it up! What did the dude say and was this an angry reaction or was the Pres just making a point? I always viewed the finger in the face thing as rude and intimidating.

[littleredtop]

Well put. What's that finger all about?

[123-cbsnews]

"dumb move", the same families continue to own the shore line, "literally" in NJ, at least other states like NY, CT, RI, have public beaches called national parks, idiots (NJ). Pay no one to build a 100 feet from the shore over and over, its should just be a public property.

[iCi2i_befree]

Glad to hear somebody make this point!! I don't know about the national park idea but these coastal flood plains should be provided an adequate buffer. We shouldn't be funding putting these houses back on stilts and on teh beaches in what should be considered public protected tidal zones. The houses should never have been built there in the first place. When will we ever learn? Please use some of the $$ to buy them out as a hazard mitigation measure.

[collie61]

"House Republicans removed unrelated spending from the bill". You notice how CBS put this one liner in the article. I'm sure it hurt them. The reality is the out of control Senate added millions of dollars in pork trying to slip it past the tax payers. But, the Republican controlled House removed it and saved the tax payers money. CBS get your head out of the administration arse and report fairly.

[iCi2i_befree]

Nice try putting the pork on the Dems and GOP as the saviors! First, I don't know whose pork funding this was but my guess is that it was from both sides of the aisle. Remember the "Fiscal Cliff" resolution when we learend after the fact that both sides were guilty of piling on useless pork spending incl millions for some sport related thing. If you open both eyes, you'll see the truth. Some people actually believe what you tell them so you and other GOP sympathisers can quit with the make-beleive stuff anytime.

[littleredtop]

Well put and accurate.

[barcar55]

Where does insurance come into all of this? And what is all this money going to? Will it really help those who need it most?

[egret57]

FEMA didn't have enough in reserves to pay for claims for flood insurance. The 50 billion is to help FEMA meet its obligations. The 10 billion cut was because the GOP objected to the pork for unrelated Sandy projects.

[littleredtop]

You can bet that individuals will see nothing other than possible high interest loan opportunities.

[WhereisOT]

"Conservatives concerned about billions in debt opposed the measure"
Yep....comes time for "handouts" for the hypocritical nothings..
Just say no...
How about another no pay for war based on lies...they would jump at that...The war is big "business" companies will benefit and pay out to those close to em...

The "best" part....the morons who deny Climate Change, refuse to stand for anything but $ and those who have plenty of it....yet for some reason believe Dino and the Flintstones are fact..Well, The inhumans haven't even thunk of future super charged storms...
Hint...will be expensive....The bast*rds have already proven that loss of life means nothing to em...
But what about all that $$$$

[tsigili]

Oink, oink.

[facelessdrone2005]

What would you call the billions upon billions we spent to "rebuild" Iraq and Afghanistan, Tsigili? Was that money better spent than Hurricane Sandy relief? Did you oppose that expenditure? Are you actively opposing all the pork barrel projects CURRENTLY underway in Afghanistan? Bush created TWO entire overseas divisions of the Corps of Engineers to "rebuild" Afghanistan (North and South), and Obama has kept them. I suggest you should start your fiscal responsibility with that rather than on money spent to help Americans hurt by natural disasters.