By Erik Wasson, On The Money blog @ The Hill,  Nov. 28, 2012

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Northeastern lawmakers are seeking $80 billion from Congress to pay for damage caused by Superstorm Sandy — a demand that could wreak havoc on negotiations for a deal on the deficit.

Bloomberg (I) traveled to the Capitol on Wednesday to press lawmakers to approve the $80 billion supplemental appropriations bill — without offsets and with new levels of flexibility — to aid the recovery of New York and New Jersey.

Senators from the two states are also urging the White House to seek a sweeping aid package next week when it asks Congress to prepare the bill to cover storm costs. 

The $80 billion amount is more than all the money that would be saved by ending the Bush-era tax rates for top earners next year. The fight over those rates has proven the major sticking point in talks to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts.

Bloomberg made his request to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who in the past has sought spending cuts to offset disaster aid [....]