With only days to spare, Congress came to an agreement regarding disaster aid and was able to avoid a partial government shutdown. There had been some concern over whether an inability to come to an agreement might disrupt aid in places still damaged by Hurricane Irene and last spring’s tornadoes. The new resolution compromise was approved in a bipartisan Senate vote of 79-12. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid described it as a compromise that should satisfy both parties.
Emotions ran high leading to a settling of the disagreement, with both parties emitting rhetoric and ultimatums. House Republicans had insisted new disaster aid be drawn from cuts to the budget elsewhere, like clean energy programs. A resolution came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said there was enough money for disaster relief efforts through Friday.
