Congress ends disaster aid dispute

WASHINGTON -- Ending weeks of political brinkmanship, Congress finessed a dispute over disaster aid Monday night and advanced legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown only days away.

The agreement ensured there would be no interruption in assistance to areas battered by disasters such as Hurricane Irene and last spring's tornadoes in Joplin, Mo., and also that the government would be able to run normally when the new budget year begins Saturday.

The Senate approved the resolution after a day of behind-the-scenes talks and occasionally biting debate, spelling an end to the latest in a string of standoffs between Democrats and Republicans over deficits, spending and taxes. Those fights have rattled financial markets and coincided with polls showing congressional approval ratings at historically low levels.

The breakthrough came hours after the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated it had enough money for disaster relief efforts through Friday. That disclosure allowed lawmakers to jettison a $1 billion replenishment that had been included in the measure -- and to crack the gridlock it had caused.

The Democratic-controlled Senate approved the measure on a bipartisan vote of 79-12, sending it to the Republican-controlled House for a final signoff. House GOP leaders' approval for the measure seemed a mere formality after the party's Senate leader agreed to it.

"This compromise should satisfy Republicans . . . and it should satisfy Democrats," Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it was a "reasonable way to keep the government operational."

Hours earlier, FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Racusen said the agency had $114 million left in its disaster relief fund, enough to last until Thursday or Friday, the final business day of the current budget year.

FEMA officials had said previously the funds would run out early this week. That prompted the Obama administration a few weeks ago to ask Congress to approve a replenishment to tide the agency over through the Sept. 30 end to the fiscal year.

House Republicans agreed weeks ago to provide $1 billion and include it in a bill that also provides money for most federal agencies for the first few weeks of the 2012 budget year. But they also insisted on cutting spending elsewhere in the budget by $1.5 billion to prevent the deficit from rising, an amount later raised to $1.6 billion.

That, in turn, produced a quick attack from Senate Democrats, who opposed cuts.