Reid: Dems won't 'cave' on disaster aid

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday Democrats will not give in on the amount of disaster relief, even if it means a government shutdown.

Reid, D-Nev., told reporters, "We're not going to cave in [to Republicans] on this," The Hill newspaper reported.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the two sides will reach an agreement by Thursday night.

The parties are fighting over funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help states recover from a number of natural disasters.

A continuing resolution to fund the government is scheduled to be taken up by the GOP-dominated House Wednesday. It contains $3.65 billion for FEMA.

However, the Senate has previously approved stand-alone legislation to provide $6.9 billion in relief funds, and Reid said he would be amending the House bill to include that increased funding.

Politico reported emotions were high on the issue.

"It'll be on Leader Reid's shoulders because he's the one playing politics with it," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told reporters. "No one wants to stand in the way of disaster money. … There is nothing else besides politics that is going on with that move."

Cantor said he was confident the stopgap continuing resolution would pass the House, Politico reported.

But House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said if Reid follows through and attaches the higher disaster aid to the continuing resolution, there aren't enough votes in the House to pass it, Politico reported.

The deadline for a deal on the short-term continuing resolution is the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, Reid said.