“WASHINGTON—In a surprise decision, the leadership of the House of Representatives said late Tuesday that there would be no more votes in the chamber until a new Congress is sworn in, dealing a major setback to the effort to quickly pass a $60 billion measure aimed at helping the Northeast rebuild after superstorm Sandy.
The news that there would be no votes on Wednesday came just hours after lawmakers from the Northeast expressed optimism that a deal was in place to bring the measure to the floor Tuesday night or Wednesday.
But just after the House approved a bill averting the so-called fiscal cliff, the Republican leadership made clear to members that the 112th Congress was ending. The move drew a parade of Northeastern representatives from both parties to the House floor to express outrage.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that I stand here almost in disbelief and somewhat ashamed,” said Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican from Staten Island. Mr. Grimm said that for the first time, he was “not proud of the decision that my team has made.”
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