The 112th Congress adjourned before voting on any
Hurricane Sandy relief bill. Although the Senate passed a $60.4
billion relief bill, the House did not hold a vote on it nor the
Republican-backed alternative $27 billion bill. After the
113th Congress has convened, the speaker has announced
that the House will vote Friday, January 4, on a $9.7 billion bill
to increase the borrowing authority of the National Flood Insurance
Program and will follow up with a January 15 vote on a separate
bill containing $50 billion in relief.
The International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S.
Maritime Alliance have agreed to a new collective bargaining
agreement in principle to avoid strikes in 14 ports along the
East and Gulf coasts. The deal allows for a 30-day extension
of negotiations in finalizing the collective bargaining
agreement. The principal disagreement, a royalty fee the
Maritime Alliance has paid dockworkers since the 1960s to offset
wage decreases, has been
