Out Of $60B Request, D.C. Can Only Manage $9B
After infuriating lawmakers and residents across the tri-state area for putting off a vote on the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package, the House of Representatives approved last Friday, Jan. 9, the release of a fraction of the funds being sought to rebuild the storm-ravaged region.
The House voted to authorize the release of $9.7 billion to fund the National Flood Insurance Program. The infusion of cash will allow the federal government to pay out claims for individuals with flood insurance who suffered damage during the superstorm that struck the tri-state area on Oct. 29-30.
Legislation for additional hurricane relief valued at over $50 billion is scheduled to come up for a vote in the House on Jan. 15.
Before ending its session last month, the Senate had overwhelmingly approved the original Hurricane Sandy relief bill, a bipartisan effort involving Congressional members of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It had the support of President Barack Obama as well as New York and New Jersey Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The House had been scheduled to take up the Senate bill on New Year’s Day along with the fiscal cliff deal, which was passed. However, House Speaker John Boehner did not bring the hurricane relief bill up for a vote.
Published reports indicated that a reason a vote on the relief package was tabled may have been due to a political imbroglio between Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who voted on opposite sides of the fiscal cliff deal (Boehner voted for the legislation, Cantor opposed it). Cantor had reportedly supported bringing the Hurricane Sandy relief legislation up for a vote before the 112th Congress wrapped up its session last Wednesday, Jan. 2.
The non-vote drew the ire of the Congressional delegations of New York and New Jersey, including Republican members who took to the House floor last Wednesday to slam Boehner for the decision. Rep. Peter King of Long Island charged that “this is absolutely indefensible.”
“There are thousands of thousands of people throughout Long Island, Rockaway, Staten Island, New Jersey … who are homeless tonight, who’ve lost their businesses,” he said, adding that New York and New Jersey officials filed the proper paperwork with Congress in order to receive the aid.
“Everybody played by the rules except for tonight, when the rug was pulled out from under us. We have a moral obligation to hold this vote,” King added.
Democrats from New York were just as scathing in their criticism of the delayed vote. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand challenged Boehner to come to Staten Island and Rockaways “and tell families trying to rebuild” their homes and businesses “why they need to wait longer for help.”
“But I doubt he has the dignity nor the guts to do it,” Gillibrand added.
Governors Cuomo and Christie also blasted partisan politics in Con- gress for holding up the relief package in a joint statement issued last Wednesday.
“This failure to come to the aid of Americans following a severe and devastating natural disaster is unprecedented,” they stated. “The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty.”
“The people of our states can no longer afford to wait while politicians in Washington play games,” Cuomo and Christie concluded.
Facing the backlash over the tabled vote, Boehner met with Republican congressmen from New York and New Jersey last Wednesday and scheduled the relief package votes on Jan. 4 and Jan. 15, respectively.
The flood insurance bill was passed last Friday with only 67 House members-many of whom claimed that the legislation was filled with “pork”-voting against it. President Obama signed the bill into law thereafter.
Local elected officials released statements following the House vote praising its passage but urging Congress to follow through with further aid later this month.
“Homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy needed this money yesterday,” Rep. Joseph Crowley said. “While I’m pleased the House acted [last Friday] to ensure the National Flood Insurance Program can continue to assist property owners affected by the storm, I remain concerned about the process and the delays that have plagued efforts to provide all of the critically needed relief assistance.”
“Today’s action by the House was a necessary and critical first step towards delivering aid to the people of New York and New Jersey,” Cuomo and Christie said in a joint statement issued last Friday. “While we are pleased with this progress, today was just a down payment and it is now time to go even further and pass the final and more complete, clean disaster aid bill.”
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall demanded “immediate action on the rest of the relief package,” adding that “by delaying, Congress undermines the American tradition of pulling together in a non-partisan way to help our fellow citizens.”
