FINALLY

Obama Signs Sandy Relief Bill

Moments after returning from Nevada.

There couldn’t have been a better way to honor the three-month anniversary of superstorm Sandy. President Obama signed a $50.5 billion relief bill on Tuesday night, one day after Congress gave the final seal of approval on the bill, which had spent weeks under fierce debate. Even as he signed it, Obama continued his criticism of congressional leaders for not passing it sooner. Conservatives, believing the bill to have too much unrelated spending, had held up passing the emergency funding. Earlier this month, House Republicans removed the unrelated spending while Congress also passed a $9 billion flood insurance bill. The Oct. 29 storm, one of the worst to hit the Northeast in history, is blamed for 130 deaths and billions in property damage.