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(L. to rt.) Joe Wilson, Louie Gohmert and Paul Ryan.
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The first piece of badly needed federal disaster aid for Hurricane Sandy victims was finally approved by Congress Friday over the objections of Republican “jackasses.”
At least that’s the opinion of former Republican Sen. Al D’Amato who ripped the 67 reps who voted against the $9.7 billion funding package as people who “don’t deserve to be in Congress.”
The money will go strictly to the ailing federal flood insurance program to pay the legitimate claims of Sandy vics.
At least that’s the opinion of former Republican Sen. Al D’Amato who ripped the 67 reps who voted against the $9.7 billion funding package as people who “don’t deserve to be in Congress.”
The money will go strictly to the ailing federal flood insurance program to pay the legitimate claims of Sandy vics.
“They’re a bunch of jackasses,” said D’Amato, a three-term senator who lives on Long Island and whose family is still struggling after the storm. “Every one of the 67 who voted no are nothing more than pawns of a philosophy that is not backed up by facts.”
The naysayers tried to punish people who dutifully paid their insurance premiums, he said, adding: “This is not pork.” Even more galling, said D’Amato, many of these Republican refuseniks are from states that received billions of dollars in aid after Hurricane Katrina — no questions asked.
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$50 billion Hurricane Katrina aid bill took just 10 days to pass.
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“This country is about coming to the aid of regions in need,” he said. “We don’t say, ‘Oh no, this money is for Louisiana, I don’t live there so what do I care?’ ”
D’Amato’s 98-year-old mother, Antoinette, was displaced from her home by the storm and his sister and family won’t get to return home for eight months but, despite his anger, D’Amato expressed confidence the rest of the $60.4 billion package will pass Jan. 15 as promised by House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. But there were already clear signs that the same stingy pols were lining up against awarding the New York region any more aid — and the bigger aid package faces a tougher fight from fiscal conservatives.
“We should not have parades down the street because this bill has passed,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor after the 354-67 vote in the vHouse and a unanimous vote in the Senate. “The major work of helping the victims of Sandy is still ahead of us.”
D’Amato’s 98-year-old mother, Antoinette, was displaced from her home by the storm and his sister and family won’t get to return home for eight months but, despite his anger, D’Amato expressed confidence the rest of the $60.4 billion package will pass Jan. 15 as promised by House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. But there were already clear signs that the same stingy pols were lining up against awarding the New York region any more aid — and the bigger aid package faces a tougher fight from fiscal conservatives.
“We should not have parades down the street because this bill has passed,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor after the 354-67 vote in the vHouse and a unanimous vote in the Senate. “The major work of helping the victims of Sandy is still ahead of us.”
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Helicopter view of damage from Hurricane Sandy in Rockaway, Queens on Wednesday, October 31, 2012.
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Schumer called the measure that passed Friday — more than two months after the storm — “a small downpayment on the much larger amount of aid that needs to get through Congress.”
The White House, which said President Obama would sign the approved bill next week, urged Congress not to dither or delay passage on the rest of the package.
“We continue to urge Congress to take up and pass the full supplemental request submitted last year to ensure affected communities have the support they need for longer term recovery,” spokesman Keith Maley said.
Gov. Cuomo, another Democrat, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, called the vote “a necessary and critical first step” in a joint — and carefully worded — statement.
“It is now time to go even further and pass the final and more complete, clean disaster aid bill,” they said.
Standing in the way are congressmen like Rep. Paul Ryan, an influential Wisconsin congressman who was Mitt Romney’s running mate and the most prominent of the conservative Republicans who voted against the bill. In a statement explaining his vote, Ryan insisted he’s “committed to quickly meeting the needs of the communities affected by the storm” but said there’s too much pork in the package.
“The Senate bill is packed with funding for unrelated items such as commercial fisheries in American Samoa and roof repair of museums in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We need to ensure the necessary resources are provided in response to true emergency needs.”
None of those pork projects was in the flood insurance bill that passed Friday but the conservative Club for Growth vowed to punish any House members who voted for the flood insurance measure.
“Congress should not allow the federal government to be involved in the flood insurance industry in the first place, let alone expand the National Flood Insurance Program’s authority,” club leader Andy Roth said in a statement.
And yet many of the pols who voted nay come from states that have suffered severe storm damage in recent years and whose constituents have relied on the insurance program. That includes pols like Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Rep. Steven Palazzo of Biloxi, Miss., Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, and Reps. Ted Yoho and Ron DeSantis of Florida. Another congressman, Sam Graves of Missouri, lobbied for an emergency declaration for his home state for flooding in 2011. Republican reps like Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Louie Gohmert of Texas and Trent Franks of Arizona had no qualms about voting for $50 billion in disaster aid after Hurricane Katrina and increasing the flood insurance pool by $2 billion in 2005.
The White House, which said President Obama would sign the approved bill next week, urged Congress not to dither or delay passage on the rest of the package.
“We continue to urge Congress to take up and pass the full supplemental request submitted last year to ensure affected communities have the support they need for longer term recovery,” spokesman Keith Maley said.
Gov. Cuomo, another Democrat, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, called the vote “a necessary and critical first step” in a joint — and carefully worded — statement.
“It is now time to go even further and pass the final and more complete, clean disaster aid bill,” they said.
Standing in the way are congressmen like Rep. Paul Ryan, an influential Wisconsin congressman who was Mitt Romney’s running mate and the most prominent of the conservative Republicans who voted against the bill. In a statement explaining his vote, Ryan insisted he’s “committed to quickly meeting the needs of the communities affected by the storm” but said there’s too much pork in the package.
“The Senate bill is packed with funding for unrelated items such as commercial fisheries in American Samoa and roof repair of museums in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We need to ensure the necessary resources are provided in response to true emergency needs.”
None of those pork projects was in the flood insurance bill that passed Friday but the conservative Club for Growth vowed to punish any House members who voted for the flood insurance measure.
“Congress should not allow the federal government to be involved in the flood insurance industry in the first place, let alone expand the National Flood Insurance Program’s authority,” club leader Andy Roth said in a statement.
And yet many of the pols who voted nay come from states that have suffered severe storm damage in recent years and whose constituents have relied on the insurance program. That includes pols like Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Rep. Steven Palazzo of Biloxi, Miss., Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, and Reps. Ted Yoho and Ron DeSantis of Florida. Another congressman, Sam Graves of Missouri, lobbied for an emergency declaration for his home state for flooding in 2011. Republican reps like Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Louie Gohmert of Texas and Trent Franks of Arizona had no qualms about voting for $50 billion in disaster aid after Hurricane Katrina and increasing the flood insurance pool by $2 billion in 2005.
But they too voted no for aid to New York.
“I just don’t know where they’re coming from,” steamed Denise Kelly, 61, whose Staten Island home was ruined by Sandy. Her eyes tearing up, Kelly said these Republicans should try living in her gutted house on Center Place. “What can they be thinking?” she asked. “They are very selfish. They’re sitting there in their warm houses. I’m sure they have walls, and windows and doors. I really didn’t think anyone would vote no.” Kelly said she’s already shelled out $7,000 to get the mold out and another $2,400 to get the electricity working again. And the $60,000 Kelly expects to get from flood insurance won’t cover all the costs of rebuilding, let alone replace the ruined contents of her home.
“We lost everything,” she said.
“I just don’t know where they’re coming from,” steamed Denise Kelly, 61, whose Staten Island home was ruined by Sandy. Her eyes tearing up, Kelly said these Republicans should try living in her gutted house on Center Place. “What can they be thinking?” she asked. “They are very selfish. They’re sitting there in their warm houses. I’m sure they have walls, and windows and doors. I really didn’t think anyone would vote no.” Kelly said she’s already shelled out $7,000 to get the mold out and another $2,400 to get the electricity working again. And the $60,000 Kelly expects to get from flood insurance won’t cover all the costs of rebuilding, let alone replace the ruined contents of her home.
“We lost everything,” she said.
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