Both Garrett and Ryan share records of pushing uncompromising agendas, no matter who gets hurt
On the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Scott Garrett’s support for Paul Ryan as speaker is a timely reminder that Ryan opposed federal aid to storm victims.
As thousands of New Jersey families grappled with displacement, destroyed homes and broken communities following the storm, Ryan faced national backlash for voting twice to block Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
Garrett himself was the only member of the state’s congressional delegation who did not immediately press Congress for federal funds for storm victims. He even derided the relief funds as a “knee-jerk reaction.”
“On the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Scott Garrett’s support for Paul Ryan is a timely reminder that Ryan opposed aid to displaced and homeless storm victims,” said Bryan Lesswing at the DCCC. “Garrett’s support for Ryan should come as no surprise today, as they both share a record of pushing their uncompromising extreme agendas, no matter who gets hurt.”
Background
Garrett Was The Only New Jersey Representative Who Refused To Sign A Letter Urging Passage Of Bi-Partisan Funding For Sandy Relief. “Garrett was the only state representative who refused to sign a letter urging the House of Representatives to pass bi-partisan legislation that would have provided federal funds to storm victims. He offered no public rebukes when Speaker John Boehner delayed a vote. The conservative congressman from Wantage Township, Sussex County, eventually voted for the Sandy aid package in January 2013. Garrett voted against authorizing federal aid following Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi.” [The Record, 9/30/14]
Garrett: “You Just Don’t Do A Knee-Jerk Reaction.” “Rep. Scott Garrett defended his decision not to sign a letter calling for federal assistance in the wake of superstorm Sandy after a meeting between Governor Christie and the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday morning… ‘Assessments have to be made first,’ Garrett said, for his part, when asked whether he would support a federal appropriations bill aimed at providing the state with relief funds. ‘You just don’t do a knee-jerk reaction.’” [Herald News, 11/20/12]
Headline: ABC News: “Paul Ryan’s Votes on Fiscal Cliff and Sandy Could Haunt Him Four Years From Now.” [ABC News, 1/5/13]
Ryan Voted Twice Against Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts For Northeast United States. [HR 41, Vote #7, 1/4/13; HR 152, Vote #23, 1/15/13]
Initial Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill Kept National Flood Insurance Program Solvent & Able To Pay Claims To Thousands Suffering Flood Damage In New York, New Jersey & Connecticut. “The Congress on Friday approved $9.7 billion in initial relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy, but New York and New Jersey lawmakers seethed over delays in passing the rest of a $60.4 billion federal aid package. The House of Representatives voted 354-67 to keep the National Flood Insurance Program solvent and able to pay claims of thousands of homeowners who suffered flood damage in coastal New York, New Jersey and Connecticut from the October storm.” [Reuters, 1/4/13]
Second Relief Bill Aimed To Help Residents & Businesses In Areas Affected By Sandy Rebuild, Including Repairs To NY & NJ Transit. “The measure is aimed primarily at helping residents and businesses as well as state and local governments rebuild from the storm. The biggest chunk of money is $16 billion for Housing and Urban Development Department community block grants. Of that, about $12.1 billion will be shared among Sandy victims as well as those from other federally declared disasters in 2011-13. The remaining $3.9 billion is solely for Sandy-related projects. More than $11 billion will go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief aid fund for Sandy and other disasters. Another $10 billion is devoted to repairing New York and New Jersey transit systems.” [AP, 1/29/13]