While lawmakers from the states affected by superstorm Sandy may rejoice in what's expected to be the swift passage of the House-approved disaster relief bill, politicians from states still reeling from past wildfires and other disasters are feeling shortchanged. "No one questions that we need to help the hurricane victims in the Northeast, but wildfire-relief is not 'pork,'" said Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, who called the House's decision to omit money for wildfire victims from its bill "unbelievable." Alaska Sen. Mark Begich is working to gain support in the Senate for adding amendments to the House relief bill so that victims from other disasters get their share of the money. He acknowledged, however, that any move to slow down the bill's passage would be wildly unpopular. "If it's not getting any traction," his spokeswoman Amy Miller said, "he's not going to make a big stand that winds up delaying aid to Sandy victims."
