Boehner shelves Sandy Aide Bill

[mcrain]

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio indicated late Tuesday the 112th Congress would end its term without voting on federal emergency aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy.

"The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month," Boehner's spokesman, Brendan Buck, said in an email.

Buck also emailed a news article reporting that Craig Fugate, head of the the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said his agency will not need additional money until spring.

FEMA money will not cover everything needed by states hit by Sandy. Other needs include claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program, repairs to mass transit and Community Development Block grants needed to help localities rebuild.

Lawmakers from Northeast states had hoped the House would vote Wednesday on the $60.4 billion aid package that passed the Senate on Friday.

If the House leaves the aid package to the next Congress, the new Senate will have to vote on the package again.

News that a House vote would not come this Congress drew outraged responses from Republican and Democratic House members from New York and New Jersey, many of whom went to the floor around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to express their dismay.

House Democratic Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland said Boehner declined to discuss plans for the Sandy aid vote during Tuesday night's House floor vote on the "fiscal cliff."

Hoyer said House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia told him immediately after the vote he was "99.9 percent confident" the Sandy aid package would go the floor, but he was waiting for word from Boehner.

Soon after that, a Boehner aide told Cantor's staff there would be no vote. The message was conveyed to Republican Rep. Peter King of Long Island, who represents the shore communities hard hit by Sandy.

King described the decision to walk away from a Sandy aid vote as inexcusable and wrong.

"I think it's unprecedented for the United States Congress to walk away from a natural disaster," King said, adding that he was not given a reason for the postponement. "This to me is just walking away from responsibility." More at USA Today

The Fiscal Cliff PR disaster and now this?

[leekohler]

The GOP does not care about who they hurt on their quest for power. They haven't for a long time.

[mcrain]

The Senate already passed the aide bill, and there is almost a zero percent chance that the bill doesn't get passed at some point in the future. In other words, by not voting on this bill, Boehner has required the Senate to vote again on the bill wasting even more money.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by mcrain

The Senate already passed the aide bill, and there is almost a zero percent chance that the bill doesn't get passed at some point in the future. In other words, by not voting on this bill, Boehner has required the Senate to vote again on the bill wasting even more money.

Boner is a giant douche. Good luck getting re-elected, ***wipe.

[rdowns]

Boehner did this because the Republicans couldn't care less about the NE states where they have but a handful of national elected officials. The base will love it, it will probably help him get re-elected speaker and the new Congress will pass an aid bill next week. One can only hope the big money folks remember this when the Republicans come here with their hands out.

Katrina bill passed in 4 or 5 days, it's now 9 weeks since Sandy and we're still negotiating. WTF has happened to our government?

[yg17]

Originally Posted by leekohler

Boner is a giant douche. Good luck getting re-elected, ***wipe.

Sadly, I don't think the giant orange boner will have any problem getting re-elected, his district is a dark red.

[NickZac]

News that a House vote would not come this Congress drew outraged responses from Republican and Democratic House members from New York and New Jersey, many of whom went to the floor around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to express their dismay.

Hoyer said House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia told him immediately after the vote he was "99.9 percent confident" the Sandy aid package would go the floor, but he was waiting for word from Boehner.

Soon after that, a Boehner aide told Cantor's staff there would be no vote. The message was conveyed to Republican Rep. Peter King of Long Island, who represents the shore communities hard hit by Sandy.

King described the decision to walk away from a Sandy aid vote as inexcusable and wrong.

While I have a lot of issues with the GOP (as well as the democrats), I don't think this is exclusively the GOP in unanimous dissent.

[zioxide]

Well, you can say one thing about Boehner...

his name is quite appropriate for him.

[citizenzen]

Originally Posted by NickZac

While I have a lot of issues with the GOP (as well as the democrats), I don't think this is exclusively the GOP in unanimous dissent.

Your use of the word "unanimous" is a strange qualification.

Rarely will you find a party unanimous on any subject.

The fact that Republicans weren't unanimous on this doesn't change the fact that they kept the vote from coming up.

[Aspasia]

If the senate bill included spending for items such as fisheries in America Samoa, 58 million for tree planting on privately owned property, and roof repairs for Washington, D.C. museums (as reported in the media) then the bill should not have been voted on and needs rewriting.

I'm all for emergency aid to the folks trying to put things back together after Hurricane Sandy. Strip out all the non-Hurricane Sandy crap the senate inserted, and approve the bill immediately.

A bill purporting to provide aid for Hurricane Sandy victims should do precisely that - and nothing else.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by Aspasia

If the senate bill included spending for items such as fisheries in America Samoa, 58 million for tree planting on privately owned property, and roof repairs for Washington, D.C. museums (as reported in the media) then the bill should not have been voted on and needs rewriting.

I'm all for emergency aid to the folks trying to put things back together after Hurricane Sandy. Strip out all the non-Hurricane Sandy crap the senate inserted, and approve the bill immediately.

A bill purporting to provide aid for Hurricane Sandy victims should do precisely that - and nothing else.

If that's true, I agree. We just can't keep doing business the old way. That said, pundits are now writing that it was Boehner giving Cantor a big **** you. Boehner's office is referring all inquiries into why there was no vote to Cantor's office.

[Huntn]

Anyone remember the good ole days when the federal gov had enough cash they could cover disasters like this without using plastic?

[NickZac]

Originally Posted by citizenzen

Your use of the word "unanimous" is a strange qualification.

Rarely will you find a party unanimous on any subject.

The fact that Republicans weren't unanimous on this doesn't change the fact that they kept the vote from coming up.

I disagree...the GOP has frequently been unanimous on some issues. But if a single or small group prevented the vote, then they should be singled out specifically. It sounds like it was one person who prevented the vote.

[AhmedFaisal]

Originally Posted by yg17

Sadly, I don't think the giant orange boner will have any problem getting re-elected, his district is a dark red.

Well, then let's superpac that ****head either during the primaries or during the elections themselves with another Republican running as an independent. It's been done before. Shouldn't be that hard to find a center right Republican that has enough appeal to get rid of that crying douchebag.

[MacNut]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Anyone remember the good ole days when the federal gov had enough cash they could cover disasters like this without using plastic?

We can't do anything now without using plastic. The whole budget is being put on the charge card.

Fema seems to be slow as dirt here, we have not heard anything yet from our insurance company regarding our flood insurance claim.

[zioxide]

Originally Posted by rdowns

If that's true, I agree. We just can't keep doing business the old way. That said, pundits are now writing that it was Boehner giving Cantor a big **** you. Boehner's office is referring all inquiries into why there was no vote to Cantor's office.

The Republican party is heading towards epic collapse over the next few years and it's going to be hilarious to watch every minute.

[rdowns]

As expected, Christie ripped the Reps. and Boehner a new one.

"There is only one group to blame," Christie said. "The House Majority and John Boehner."

"Last night, the House Majority failed the basic test of leadership and they did so with callous disregard to the people of my state," he said. "It was disappointing and disgusting to watch."
"Shame on you, shame on Congress."

"Our people were played last night as a pawn...and that's why people hate Washington, D.C.," Christie said later. "Last night, my party was responsible.

Originally Posted by zioxide

The Republican party is heading towards epic collapse over the next few years and it's going to be hilarious to watch every minute.

Watch the Dems vote Boehner in as speaker if the Reps. put up a more right wing person for the job.

[MacNut]

Originally Posted by rdowns

As expected, Christie ripped the Reps. and Boehner a new one.








Watch the Dems vote Boehner in as speaker if the Reps. put up a more right wing person for the job.

I can see Christie as the turning force in the Republican party. If he ever runs for President it's going to be a fun ride.

[zioxide]

Originally Posted by rdowns

Watch the Dems vote Boehner in as speaker if the Reps. put up a more right wing person for the job.

Didn't the House already vote him as Speaker for 2 more years about a month ago?

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by zioxide

Didn't the House already vote him as Speaker for 2 more years about a month ago?

Nope. He stands for election tomorrow after new house is sworn in.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by MacNut

I can see Christie as the turning force in the Republican party. If he ever runs for President it's going to be a fun ride.

This is if the Reds don't muck things up even more, making Christie revisit his reasons to stay Red, and perhaps turn Blue or White.

BL.

[MacNut]

Originally Posted by bradl

This is if the Reds don't muck things up even more, making Christie revisit his reasons to stay Red, and perhaps turn Blue or White.

BL.

The Republicans need to worry about Christie in what ever party he is in.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by MacNut

The Republicans need to worry about Christie in what ever party he is in.

Very true. At this point, given his actions at the RNC, I would have laughed him off and lambasted him. After his work with Obama after Sandy, he now has my attention, like being tapped on the shoulder to just turn around. It will be interesting to see where his political career takes him now.

And this is a first, all the Reds in this forum; though I wasn't alive yet to see the Great Southern Strategy take hold, this would be the first Red that would have caught my attention in a positive sense in my life.

BL.

[AhmedFaisal]

Originally Posted by MacNut

The Republicans need to worry about Christie in what ever party he is in.

Christie isn't exactly uncontroversial. He had exposure to a couple of very questionable development decisions in the New York/New Jersey area that might come back to bite him if he runs for a national office and the papers really dig in to find something... if I were one of the many having to commute into Manhattan or even Jersey City and Newark every day, Mr. Nyet to Infrastructure and Public Transportation development wouldn't be a favorite of mine....

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by MacNut

The Republicans need to worry about Christie in what ever party he is in.

If he wants to be president, he needs to do two things One is lose weight; he is morbidly obese. He's well over 300 lbs.

The second is to tone it down. A presidential candidate can't be out there yelling at constituents and taking the bait every time someone screams something at him.