The U.S. House of Representatives passed an additional $50.5 billion for Hurricane Sandy disaster relief appropriations on Tuesday, as reported by Bloomberg.
"The House voted 241-180 last night to add a $50.5 billion package of aid to a $9.7 billion measure passed by both houses of Congress on Jan. 4. Yesterday’s measure includes $17 billion to meet the immediate needs of Sandy victims in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and $33.5 billion for long-term reconstruction."
A Washington Free Beacon analysis of recent FEMA spending provides insight on how taxpayers can expect the Obama administration to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
According to the Federal Business Opportunities website, in the effort to support those affected by Hurricane Sandy, FEMA has spent more than $362,000 on embroidered apparel for FEMA personnel aiding in response operations.
FEMA employees deployed for the relief effort are outfitted in embroidered fleece lined jackets, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, baseball caps, and wool hats. The uniformed apparel seems redundant considering FEMA spent $65k on 5-point breakaway safety vests for the sole purpose of identifying Surge Capacity Force employees.
According to FEMA, 525,000 storm survivors have registered for federal assistance.
The H.R. 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act approved by the House Tuesday evening earmarks $5.4 billion for FEMA. The bill will be sent to the Senate next for consideration.