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The U.S.聽聽on Monday began debating a $60.4 billion aid bill to rebuild communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy amid criticism by conservative groups who said the measure was loaded with wasteful, non-disaster spending.

The Democratic-controlled聽聽is looking to pass the disaster aid bill this week. But Republicans, wary of its huge price tag in the midst of tense debt and deficit negotiations in Washington, are likely to try to ratchet back some of its provisions through amendments.

Meanwhile, the聽聽is taking a slower, more painstaking approach to analyzing the Obama administration's request for funding to rebuild coastal communities largely in聽听补苍诲听, repair transportation infrastructure there and provide other aid.

罢丑别听听颁丑补颈谤尘补苍 Hal Rogers, a聽聽Republican, hopes to move an aid measure before year-end but has been considering a smaller initial bill aimed at meeting immediate disaster needs.

The conservative聽聽urged senators to vote against the Sandy relief bill, saying that it contained a lot of "immaterial" spending.

"When a natural disaster occurs, there is a textbook response by聽聽- they cobble together an overpriced bill that isn't paid for, there's no accountability or oversight, and it's filled with pork. This proposal is no different," the group said in an email to senators.

Among spending items in the聽聽bill drawing the ire of Washington conservatives is one seeking $150 million for fishery disasters in聽听补苍诲听聽- thousands of miles from the Sandy damage. The bill also includes a request of $50 million for the聽's historic preservation fund and nearly $9 million to replace vehicles and other equipment used by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

Even some local聽聽politicians criticized the bill.

"A full 5 percent of the appropriation request is earmarked for the replacement of federal assets, rather than rebuilding and aid efforts in the tri-state area,"聽聽State 厂别苍补迟辞谤听, a Republican, said in a statement, referring to聽,听听补苍诲听.

The three states had initially requested $82 billion in aid, although damage estimates were expected to rise over time. Some of the rebuilding costs were expected to be covered by private insurance.

Some lawmakers are also questioning the bill's inclusion of infrastructure upgrades aimed at mitigating damage from future storms. For example, $5.5 billion would be allocated to the聽聽to make transportation systems more resilient in high winds and floods, including efforts to keep tunnels from flooding.

Republicans also questioned the need to push through the full $60.4 billion at once, given that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about $9 billion in aid will be disbursed in 2013.

"Let's do this in a real way. Look at how much we're going to spend each year, and do it on an annual basis," Senator Bob Corker, a Republican from聽, told Reuters last week.

But Democrats, displaying large photographs of flooded subway stops and houses turned into splinters, defended the bill on Monday, saying that聽聽has always provided disaster recovery aid and the need after Sandy was massive.

Appropriating funds in small increments was unworkable, they argued, because transit agencies, businesses and communities needed certainty that reimbursement money will be available or they cannot start reconstruction projects.

厂别苍补迟辞谤听, a聽聽Democrat, said this was particularly important for large, multi-year transit projects - such as those required in his state.

"If we don't put up the money, then some of the rebuilding will wait. A piecemeal recovery is a stalled recovery," Menendez said.

聽Republican aides did not immediately have details on their party's proposed amendments.

罢丑别听, which requested the $60.4 billion aid packages just over a week ago, signaled that it is willing to accept some changes, saying in a statement that it "looks forward to working with the聽聽to refine the legislation."