Democrats supported emergency relief worth $50.7bn in large numbers, but there was substantial Republican backing tooThe Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved $50.7bn in emergency relief for Hurricane Sandy victims on Tuesday night, ending an episode that exposed party divisions more than 10 weeks after the storm brutalised parts of the heavily populated north-east.The vote was 241-180, and officials said the Senate was likely to accept the measure early next week and send it to Barack Obama for his signature.