Sep 07, 2011
Republicans Run from Cantor’s Plan to Withhold Disaster Relief
From members of his own House Republican Conference to Republican Governors, Republicans are running away from Leader Eric Cantor’s outrageous proposal to hold disaster relief benefits from Hurricane Irene survivors until he can enact his radical agenda to cut Medicare and education.
Hurricane Irene is projected to be one of the 10 costliest catastrophes in U.S. history and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the verge of running out of money and state and local governments can’t afford to go it alone. Families lost everything they spent a lifetime working for; they don’t need Republican Leader Eric Cantor’s partisan Washington games, they need help.
Representative Leonard Lance (NJ-07): “U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon County) is disagreeing with one of his party’s top leaders and saying that the federal government should “spend whatever is necessary” in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. […] Lance, who represents such flood prone communities as Cranford, Bound Brook and Manville, said that he expects to communicate his position on the issue to Cantor and other House Republican leaders later this week.” [South Orange Patch, 8/27/11]
Representative Jon Runyan (NJ-03): “Now is not the time for a budget debate when so many people and communities are still under water and many without power. This is a national emergency and the Federal government needs to respond. While I respect Majority Leader Cantor and share his commitment to spending discipline, my focus right now is making sure hard-hit areas in New Jersey receive the necessary federal resources they need in order to recover.” [Office of Congressman Jon Runyan Press Release, 8/30/11]
Representative Michael Grimm (NY-13): “Rep. Michael Grimm wants ‘straight aid’ for battered borough residents, distancing himself from GOP leaders who have said any outlay of disaster funds must be offset by additional budget cuts. ‘There’s no question that the government should play a much more limited role in our lives than it currently does,’ Grimm said in a statement yesterday. ‘However, protecting life and property are the fundamental responsibilities of government and providing protection and relief from disaster is a large part of that.’ Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is ‘not asking for cuts, just straight aid,’ a spokeswoman said.” [silive.com, 9/2/11]
Representative Richard Hanna (NY-24): “‘Hurricane Irene funding should be approved as soon as necessary,’ Mr. Hanna, who represents the Utica area, said in a statement released by his office. ‘Immediate offsets shouldn’t be required for disasters like this.’” [New York Times, 9/7/11]
NJ Governor Chris Christie: “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie joined calls for immediate increases to the FEMA disaster aid budget in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, slamming fellow Republicans such as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) who have called for additional funds to be offset by equivalent spending cuts. ‘Our people are suffering now, and they need support now,’ Christie said, according to The Wall Street Journal. ‘And [Congress] can all go down there and get back to work and figure out budget cuts later.’” [The Hill, 9/1/11]
VA Governor Bob McDonnell:. “Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, breaking with fellow Republican Cantor, on Tuesday suggested that deficit-spending concerns should not be a factor as Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency respond to Hurricane Irene. ‘My concern is that we help people in need,’ McDonnell said during his monthly radio show. ‘For the FEMA money that’s going to flow, it’s up to them on how they get it. I don’t think it’s the time to get into that [deficit] debate.’” [The Hill, 8/31/11]
NY State Senator Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson: “I mean you can’t be attaching people’s lifeline to a political game in D.C.” [The Journal, 9/1/11]
While Republicans are fleeing Cantor’s plan quickly, he does have the support of one disaster ‘expert’ — former FEMA Director Michael “Heckuva Job” Brown who bungled the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
Former FEMA Director Michael Brown: “Former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Michael Brown wants federal emergency disaster aid to be offset by spending cuts elsewhere, backing up a position first put forward by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).” [Huffington Post, 8/30/11]
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