More than two thirds of Tennessee’s counties have been declared disaster areas this year, which is on top of last year’s flood damage. State officials are waiting for Congress to send them $165 million to pay for recovery efforts. But as of now that emergency funding is caught in a political battle.

Earlier in the week the disaster funding bill was defeated in the Senate only to be resurrected and passed on Thursday. But House Republicans leaders are insisting on paying for it up front and they seem to hold the trump cards. Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker says the political theatre is unnecessary.

“This week is a, in the Senate anyway, is a total charade and waste of time.”

House leaders want the money to come from a program to develop hybrid vehicles. Nashville Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper says where the money comes from isn’t the pressing question.

“There are a lot of pockets of money around, I don’t know if that’s the best way to get the money, but we’ve got to make sure that Nashville can have a full recovery from the flood. That’s the bottom line.”

Senator Corker says he expects the funding issue to eventually be attached to legislation keeping the government funded after September 30th.

Senators Corker and Lamar Alexander voted against the emergency funding that was tacked on to another measure Thursday. Differences between the Senate and House approaches to disaster funding will have to be sorted out for the issue to be settled.