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Superstorm Sandy Victims Left in the Lurch
Despite promises, decision made not to allow a vote for aid to Superstorm Sandy victims.
(WASHINGTON) – Speaker John Boehner of Ohio reneged on promise to allow a vote on aid to victims of Superstorm Sandy, according to an irate Representative Peter King , R-N.Y.
Northeast lawmakers learned late Tuesday night that the House Republican leadership decided to not allow a vote on aid to Superstorm Sandy victims.
The Associate Press reported that,
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said he was told by the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had decided to abandon a vote this session.
Representative Peters, R-N.Y.
Cantor, who sets the House schedule, did not immediately comment. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that just before Tuesday evening’s vote on “fiscal cliff” legislation, Cantor told him that he was “99.9 percent confident that this bill would be on the floor, and that’s what he wanted.”
A spokesman for Boehner, Michael Steel said, “The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month.”
In remarks on the House floor, King called the decision “absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities.”
The Senate approved a $60.4 billion measure Friday to help with recovery from the October storm that devastated parts of New York, New Jersey and nearby states. The House Appropriations Committee has drafted a smaller, $27 billion measure, and a vote had been expected before Congress’ term ends Thursday at noon.
More than $2 billion in federal funds has been spent so far on relief efforts for 11 states and the District of Columbia struck by the storm, one of the worst ever to hit the Northeast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund still has about $4.3 billion, enough to pay for recovery efforts into early spring, according to officials. The unspent FEMA money can only be used for emergency services, said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are receiving federal aid.
Sandy was blamed for at least 120 deaths and battered coastline areas from North Carolina to Maine. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were the hardest hit states and suffered high winds, flooding and storm surges. The storm damaged or destroyed more than 72,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. In New York, 305,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed and more than 265,000 businesses were affected.
“This is an absolute disgrace and the speaker should hang his head in shame,” said Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
“I’m here tonight saying to myself for the first time that I’m not proud of the decision my team has made,” said Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. “It is the wrong decision, and I’ m going to be respectful and ask that the speaker reconsider his decision. Because it’s not about politics, it’s about human lives.”
“I truly feel betrayed this evening,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.
“We need to be there for all those in need now after Hurricane Sandy,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.
The House Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, said she didn’t know whether a decision has been made and added, “We cannot leave here doing nothing. That would be a disgrace.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/02/house-adjourns-current-term-without-voting-on-sandy-aid-bill/#ixzz2GojckDem
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/20483140/house-ends-current-term-without-voting-on-sandy-aid-bill#ixzz2GpesQXS3
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Posted by Robert O'Dowd on Jan 2 2013, With 0 Reads, Filed under Legislation, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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just like Katrina..
a) use haarp to shove the storm around (blow up levees after the fact for more damage too!)
b) deliberately fail miserably then claim “we need more money and power!”
the longer they can stall, the more it can be seen as being a failure, justifying more fund grabbing..
meantime, “patriot-enabling-act” DHS-TSA has purchase ordered near 2 billion rounds of hollowpoints,
rounds that are considered to be WAR CRIMES if used anywhere else in the world.. go figger.
“nothing treasonous to see going on here, move along”..
they sure stopped Jesse Ventura’s episode about FEMA CAMPS from being re-aired,
even remote deleted it from peoples DVR’s from what I’d heard, so add that into the math too.
Ah! Had those in the Sandy Storm been BANKS.. Well hell YA! Give them Millions, Billions no TRILLIONS!! and when asked Who Got What? Send in the Clown Bernanke and have him say, “I ain’t telling you who got what” Just remember, YOU and your Children’s Children are going to repay anything I GIVE to the Bank’s. They of course will be free to give Millions in Bonus Pay to their Criminal Banksters.
When it comes to the People, Who cares? Personally, I hope every F-ing person affected by that storm files Total Bankruptcy and ditches the fact that they wont be paying for homes that were destroyed but still have a mortgage on them.
Meanwhile, they will make it possible for hundreds of billions of dollars to feed the WAR Machines of this country to kill more people and devastate more nations. Looking at Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and now Syria it is so great to see the Nation Building after years of Bombing’s.
yup, as they announce 2% tax increase on people making over 450k a year..
gee thats gotta be 0.003% of the population at least!
after handing all the technology and production to China etc with NAFTA-GATT,
then handing out corporate welfare for companies to skip the country,
flushing wages down the toilet, making people unemployed homeless and desperate..
how the fuq do they have funds for “global police” crap, and a “police state” at home?!!
the people screamed NO, they baled out the banksters anyway..
handing US the bill for everything in “national deficit”..
but if WE protest this BS we’re “domestic extremists” ?!!
arent they just sweethearts?
-a $60.4 billion measure-
thats about how much mr madoff got from americans in his little charade/adventure.. hahaha what a joke ha? americans just look at the news and move on saying “oh well, its ok, he is a chosen one, besides, we whites hurt his people in the holocaust, let him have them” then the jews will do it again and again and again … hahahaha i wonder where that money is .. in what bank?
yep those are the same basta rds that gave netanyahoo 67 standing ovations.. nice suits by the way i like the way the black guy is standing there with his hands in his pocket.. nice cadillac parked outside then a deep breath.. and well, we tried as he clicks his little alarm thing and walks down the hallway LOOKING FOR A JEW CONGRESSMAN TO KISS HIS A SS!!!!
See the pukes in the photo, how much do you think those suits are worth 1000, 2000, they aren’t hurting,
their fat pay checks and perks. Why would the give two or even one fork what happens to the little guy?
Big BS…..See the concern on their faces, its concern because they won’t be able to skim from the funds now. They see it as a personal loss.
How many tyime does one get shit on before one is choked out of existance.