Washingtonpost.com:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) condemned House Republicans Wednesday afternoon for failing to pass a $60 billion package of funding for Hurricane Sandy relief. In the strongest terms, he accused House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) of letting “toxic internal politics” impede necessary storm relief.
“There’s only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these victims: the House majority and their speaker,” Christie said. “It was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
Christie told reporters that he has spoken to both Boehner and President Obama today. But he said he couldn’t rely on any assurances from Boehner or his fellow House leaders after he was told repeatedly over the weekend and early in the week that the vote was secure.
Shortly after Christie made the remarks, House Republicans decided to vote on the measure on Friday.
Earlier, Obama called on the House to immediately pass the aid package.
It has been 66 days since Sandy slammed into the coast of New Jersey and New York. Still there are people living in shelters and without electricity. Congress has to vote for billions in federal aid to give these people relief.
Governor Christie told the nation that he was promised the vote for federal aid would happen last night. It did not. In a 40 minute speech in New Jersey, Christie pounded Congress about as badly as Sandy crashed against the New Jersey shoreline. According to Politico.com:
It was extraordinary spectacle: A popular national figure for the Republican Party publicly castigating the House Republican leader for showing “callous indifference” to the Northeast and being consumed with “palace intrigue.”
Christie singled out House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for praise, saying the Virginia Republican tried to be helpful. But the governor said he had called Boehner repeatedly Tuesday night without getting an answer after the bill was abruptly pulled.
Christie said he finally spoke to Boehner Wednesday morning, at which time the speaker told him he was planning to meet with the New Jersey and New York Republican delegations in the afternoon. But without directly commenting on his conversation with the speaker, Christie said he had yet to hear a “substantive credible” reason for not taking up the bill.
“We were given assurances by everyone that this was going to be done. We got continued assurances as late as [Tuesday] night at 9 o’clock,” Christie said. “All I can tell you is this was the speaker’s decision, his alone.”
“I have to tell you I think that Eric was working as hard as he could to get this done,” the governor said. “You see a lot of palace intrigue down there and unfortunately folks have put politics ahead of their responsibilities.”
Christie said he was not offered an explanation for the move.
I am not given to nice talk about Eric Canter so you know this had to be pretty deserved. I have already written my new congressman and Speaker Boehner strongly urging them to make this happen. The people of New York and New Jersey deserve better than this. The other northern coast states were hit pretty hard also. It is my understanding that they will also be in the federal aid package.
What was Boehner’s problem? Was he afraid of the Tea Party? Was he told not to bring up the Sandy Federal aid package if he wanted to pass the Cliff bill? What low-life is putting the kibosh on Sandy Aid?
It is situations like aid to Sandy victims that should serve as a reminder that we are a huge country with many different strengths an weaknesses. The tea party mantra of stop spending is just silly. Is someone seriously suggesting that there should be no relief or aid for victims of natural disasters? How about man-made disasters? Bumper sticker solutions to complex problems hurt our economy and our country. No one likes the debt. I expect it was equally hated after WWII when we owed billions. (and still do) It is part of life. We are Americans. If the time comes to chip in more, then we will. Now we have to get the economy back on track. I think we can do it without blaming Bush or Obama. We have to accept when it happened and we have to accept that we had to spend a boat load of money to prop things up. The fife and drum corp is just going to have to straighten their three corner hats and play on for a while. The big boys and girls are in charge now.
Give Christie and Cuomo their disaster relief and do it quickly.
Christie 2016 – I just hope he does not spoil it with the VP selection……
I don’t like him THAT much. However, i wouldn’t rule him out either. I don’t like his bully pulpit with the teachers.
$60 billion in Sandy relief is a misnomer. Billions in pork were added. I still think that the bill should be passed, but NJ isn’t getting 60 billion dollars. Boehner needs to resign.
The House could have at least voted on the package but Boehnor is too much of a chicken.
Heck, I’m even tempted to vote for Christie should he run for prez. Mitt Romney made a huge mistake not selecting him to be his VP. It might have made a difference.
@Cargosquid
Its relief for those hit by the hurricane. I don’t care what its called.
@Starryflights
Agreed that Romney made a mistake but Starry, I cant see you voting Republican.
As jaded as I might be, I think Christie is honestly outraged by this. He was apparently lied to by Boehner and is pretty ticked. Good for him.
What odds can I get on an overthrow attempt by Cantor today?
Christie is furious!!!
He should be. I listened all night to Republicans rail against this uber conservative group inside Congress. Its fairly amazing. Mainstream Republicans realize that this group is destroying the party.
Maybe this stranghold Barry Goldwater warned of in the mid sixties is being cut off.
There is plenty of pork in the Sandy bill – including money for other storm damage, and just money for other things – so that they can get the votes for a bill to pass. The House could have voted for just the Sandy aid – I think they already split the bill in two – but chose not to vote – a choice Boenher made – is it Political Partisanship – as many people think? Is it payback to Christie?
Christie has every right to be outraged. This is exactly where the Fed’s are to come in – or, as some suggested previously, are states supposed to withstand this type of damage and recovery themselves – I think not.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/senate-dems-caught-expanding-sandy-bill-provide-kickbacks-republican-senators_690798.html
It very well could be payback to Christie for thanking the Prez and touching him right before the election. The shame of it all….adult human beings being courteous to each other!!!!
I hate how the bills are always stuffed. Nothing against NASCAR but I don’t think it belongs in the Cliff Bill. I know it goes on but it just seems ridiculous. Then they all whine about “pork.” I don’t know the solution.
Very interesting – this is the beautiful thing about history – not too much is new.
The Berry Goldwater quote
Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.
…..
The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom…. I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D.’ Just who do they think they are?… I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of “conservatism.”
– Barry Goldwater, (1909–1998), five-term US Senator, Republican Party nominee for President in 1964*, Maj. Gen., US Air Force Reserves, author of The Conscience of a Conservative.
Thanks you very much for that quote, Lyssa. I didn’t realize Goldwater said that. I always associate him with his civil rights and anti civil rights positions.
Now we not only have the preachers but those who take the moral high road on what THEY think Christianity is.
@Starryflights
That would definitely have been “The Odd Couple”, but it might have worked.
@Moon-howler
That’s not what I’m saying.. There’s not 60 billion in relief. Some of that money is going for pork.
@Pat.Herve
This is one of my complaints about Congress. This of all bills should not need bribery to get votes.
No one likes it. However the rolling together of bills has been around since the beginning. I don’t know what you do about it.
I looked at some of the pork – $300m for Amtrak??? Over the holidays their fares from here to NYC increased by 90%. They can’t behave like private industry and get government subsidies. They received $1.5BILLION in federal subsidies in 2011. Romney didnt support continuation of funding despite the fact that rail keeps thousands off cars off the roads, particularly the northeast. The GOP House increased Amtrak funding last June by $400M. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on Amtrak over the past 34 years suffering horribly rude conductors, no seats for hours regardless of fare paid, filthy conditions and notorious delays. They almost went down under Nixon but increased subsidies, clearly low pay and low cleaning services and badly managed equipment, rails and stations have permitted them to survive.
Let Amtrak and those that drive congested routes (like we do) figure life out. I can think of better uses of that money.
Plus they fire people in a nasty way. One of my favorite people was with them for years and then one day they decided he was expendible. Decades. He died soon after that.