'US Senate aims to cut Sandy aid bill down to $24 bln' - Reuters
US Senate Republicans are planning to cut $13 billion from the proposed post Hurricane Sandy reconstruction aid that would have been spent on infrastructure improvements to prepare for future storms, such as making the New York City subway tunnels flood proof or constructing sand barriers to protect some shorelines from storm surges, reports David Lawder for Alertnet.
Commenting on these initiatives, Senator Daniel Coats of Indiana, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that mitigation efforts are "long-term projects" that should not be immediately funded without further study. The plan and other amendments to the Sandy aid measure are expected to be considered on Thursday and Friday.