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Senate Approves $50.5 Billion Superstorm Sandy Aid Bill

After a delay in the House that lead to bipartisan outrage, a bill that lays out $50.5 billion in aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy is headed to President Obama's desk for his signature.

With a vote of 62-36, the Senate passed the bill Monday evening.

The AP adds:

"The measure is aimed primarily at helping residents and businesses as well as state and local governments rebuild from the Oct. 29 storm. It passed despite opposition from fiscal conservatives worried about adding to deficits.

"Sandy roared up the East Coast and has been blamed for more than 130 deaths and billions of dollars in residential and business property damage."

Bloomberg adds that the bill includes a "$9.7 billion increase in the national flood insurance fund's borrowing authority."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.