Sandy Disaster Aid Package Offered by Senate Democrats

Senate Democrats have quickly cobbled together a $60.4 billion disaster aid package for New York, New Jersey and other states hit by Superstorm Sandy in late October.

Working from the emergency spending request President Barack Obama made five days ago, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday released draft of the legislation.

While the bill calls for $60.4 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about $9 billion would be spent over the next nine months. An additional $12 billion would be spent the following year.

The bill is laden with big infrastructure projects that often require years to complete.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)