NEW: Langevin & Cicilline Blast GOP Over Hurricane Sandy Funds
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
U.S. Congressman James R. Langevin (D-RI) and U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) expressed disbelief today that the House Republican leadership continues to hold firm in its insistence not to vote on Hurricane Sandy recovery funds in the current Congress despite pleas from both parties to act. The House adjourned for today without taking any votes.
Langevin and Cicilline have called for a vote on Senate-passed legislation that would approve $60.4 billion in Hurricane Sandy recovery funds to go toward rebuilding infrastructure, fisheries and other severely damaged property, as well as providing small business assistance. Without a vote by noon tomorrow, the process for passing this legislation would need to start over once the 113th Congress convenes.
“We’re astonished by the lack of urgency from Speaker Boehner and his leadership team to address Sandy relief,” said Langevin and Cicilline. “Clear bipartisan support exists in both chambers to give affected states the resources they need to rebuild and recover, and every day we wait adds to the burden of the people most impacted by this devastating storm, from the Jersey Shore and New York City up to the coasts of Washington, Newport and Bristol Counties.
“Failure to act quickly in a situation where Congress has an obvious and vital role does not bode well for what are sure to be more contentious debates over the budget in the months to come. We will continue to press for a vote by tomorrow morning, before the new Congress begins, to avoid delay.”
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States during the last week of October 2012. Langevin and Cicilline joined U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in a letter urging President Obama to expedite the approval of emergency relief for Rhode Island. Three days later, Obama authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency aid to Rhode Island to assist in state and local response efforts.
The U.S. Senate approved a $60.4 billion emergency supplemental package for Hurricane Sandy recovery work last Friday, with the measure passing by a bipartisan vote of 62 to 32.
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Comments:
Allison Westhaver
3:03am on Thursday, January 03, 2013
Langevin and Ciccilline continue to be a train wreck for fiscal IRRESPONSBILITY. These men are guilty of creating said "fiscal cliff."
Now they have the temerity to criticize Boehner for actually doing something courageous in NOT putting the pork-laden Hurricane Sandy "relief" bill to a vote. Of course, there is no surprise because these hacks take every available opportunity to screw the taxpayers.
The pork-barrel feast includes more than $8 million to buy cars and equipment for the Homeland Security and Justice departments. It also includes a whopping $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out to fisheries in Alaska and $2 million for the Smithsonian Institution to repair museum roofs in DC.
An eye-popping $13 billion would go to “mitigation” projects to prepare for future storms.
Other big-ticket items in the bill include $207 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center; $41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; $4 million for repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida; $3.3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and $1.1 million to repair national cemeteries.
Budget watchdogs have dubbed the 94-page emergency-spending bill “Sandy Scam.”
More:
$58.8 million for forest restoration on private land.
$197 million “to… protect coastal ecosystems and habitat impacted by Hurricane Sandy.”
$10.78 billion for public transportation, most of which is allocated to future construction and improvements, not disaster relief.
$17 billion for wasteful Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), a program that has become notorious for its use as a backdoor earmark program.
So... thanks Boehner... you finally did something right.
Allison Westhaver
3:08am on Thursday, January 03, 2013
P.S. Remember Obama could have instructed his puppet Harry Reid to expedite the Sandy "relief" bill WITHOUT THE PORK but instead Obama did NOTHING. Passing bills like this and borrowing the $$$ to pay for them from China is what will kill your children's American Dream. King and Christie are grandstanding on this and behaving like tyrants, not responsible legislators. Pox on both their houses. The first wave of Sandy relief is already in place... 60 billion of pork is a disgrace.
Allison Westhaver
3:10am on Thursday, January 03, 2013
Where's the money that the rock stars raised for Sandy relief, by the way?
And P.S. Remember Obama could have instructed his puppet Harry Reid to expedite the Sandy "relief" bill WITHOUT THE PORK but instead Obama did NOTHING. Passing bills like this and borrowing the $$$ to pay for them from China is what will kill your children's American Dream. King and Christie are grandstanding on this and behaving like tyrants, not responsible legislators. Pox on both their houses. The first wave of Sandy relief is already in place... 60 billion of pork is a disgrace.
Wuggly Ump
10:16am on Thursday, January 03, 2013
@Allison Westhaver
You are doing the job the media is supposed to. Thank you.
GoLocal and the rest of the media should be REPORTING pork like this being put into bills daily. GoLocal this is what you should have included in this article, and every article about spending bills. Show the people the pork.
Anyone else listening out there?
Tricia Cahill
11:21pm on Thursday, January 03, 2013
Allison, I agree ... great job... why do citizens have to do the reportage on this? GOLOCAL: why don't you actually do journalism for a change?