The main bill provides $17 billion in relief, and an amendment made in order would add another $33.7 billion.

The House late Monday voted 4-397 against adjourning, leaving members with nothing left to do but make speeches for the rest of Monday evening.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) made a motion to adjourn and called for a recorded vote, even though the resulting vote made it clear that almost no one was in favor of adjourning.

The House late Monday approved legislation that would speed up the process by which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can distribute disaster aid.

The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act, H.R. 219, was considered under a suspension of House rules, which allowed for a short debate and required a two-thirds majority vote for passage. Members passed it in an easy 403-0 vote.

Freshman Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) said Monday that he would decline the pension and health benefits he is eligible for as a member of Congress, saying these choices are his way of "demonstrating my commitment to reforming Congress."

In an op-ed for the Daytona Beach News Journal, DeSantis said he has also joined the bipartisan Fix Congress Now Caucus, which supports legislation banning member pay until Congress passes a budget.

House Republicans said Monday that they hope reading the U.S. Constitution on the House floor tomorrow helps remind members that the powers of the federal government are limited, not limitless.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), who will lead the reading on Tuesday, said his constituents tell him all the time that Congress needs to adhere to the Constitution, and the "finite list of powers it grants to the federal government."

The Alabama Republican said high unfavorable ratings are a "a small price to pay for the futures of our children."

House Republicans this week will have several choices to make about whether all or part of a massive Hurricane Sandy relief bill should be offset with spending cuts.

GOP leaders took heavy criticism in 2011 for seeking spending cuts to offset the cost of a Hurricane Irene disaster aid bill. This year — in the wake of a storm that has many Republicans calling for immediate aid — GOP leaders appear ready to back off that demand.

The House meets at 2 p.m. for work on the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act.

The bill is meant to help speed up the process of delivering federal disaster aid. Among other things, it would allow FEMA to write earlier checks to state and local governments based on damage estimates, and creates incentives for the speedy removal of storm debris.

The House returns for an abbreviated session next week, most of which will focus on a $50 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package.

Congress has already approved $9.7 billion in Sandy aid, which many Republicans opposed because it allows the National Flood Insurance Program to go deeper into debt, without making any reforms to the program.