The US House of Representatives will not vote on a $60bn (£37bn) super-storm Sandy aid package, sparking anger among New York and New Jersey lawmakers.
Speaker John Boehner's office said it would not hold a vote on Wednesday, the last day of the current Congress.
The Senate approved a bill last week. Mr Boehner's spokesman said he was committed to passing a bill in January, but it will need to be reintroduced.
October's storm killed at least 120 people and flooded East Coast areas.
The states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were hardest-hit.
"For the speaker to just walk out is inexcusable," Representative Peter King, a New York Republican, told reporters. "It's wrong and I'm saying that as a member of the Republican Party."
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End Quote Representative Steny HoyerI would hope that we would say to those citizens, we're here for you, one country, one nation"
In a statement, US President Barack Obama urged the House to pass the aid package on Wednesday.
"Our citizens are still trying to put their lives back together," he said. "Our states are still trying to rebuild vital infrastructure."
'Reset button'
Earlier, the lower chamber considered a smaller aid package of $27bn for immediate relief needs with a possible $33bn amendment for longer-term projects.
Some House Republicans said the Senate bill contained spending on unrelated projects or infrastructure proposals that should be paid with other funds. But both the House and Senate bills will expire with the end of the 112th Congress.
"If we get into the next Congress, you have to hit the reset button," Jon Runyan, a New Jersey Republican, told NBC, adding that the bill had been largely pushed aside by negotiations over avoiding the fiscal cliff.
"It passed the Senate in a bipartisan way," Representative Nita Lowey, a New York Democrat, said. "And again, to me this is a real betrayal, a betrayal of the leadership of the Republican Party."
Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer said he hoped the decision to take no further votes in the House would be reconsidered.
"I would hope that we would say to those citizens, we're here for you, one country, one nation," he said.
The governors of New York and New Jersey also released a joint statement criticising the House for inaction.
"When American citizens are in need we come to their aid," Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie said. "That tradition was abandoned in the House last night."
Mr Christie, the New Jersey governor, has scheduled a press conference for 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT).
VIDEO: Occupy Sandy's social media mandate (Produced by the BBC's David Botti)
More than $2bn has been spent in 11 states and the District of Columbia on Sandy relief. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) still has $4.3bn in a disaster relief fund, enough to pay for emergency recovery efforts into early spring.
According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Fema's extended transitional housing assistance for Sandy victims will expire next week, leaving about 2,500 people without funds to pay for hotels or motels.
And residents of two of New York City's hardest-hit neighbourhoods told WNYC that money to rebuild was imminently needed.
"The residents are counting on it," Matthew Fleming told the broadcaster.
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