Boehner & Cantor Say If FEMA Shuts Down Monday It Is Harry Reid’s Fault
EmailAs the Senate voted earlier this morning to table the House-passed continuing resolution, House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor amped up the pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to vote on the House-passed measure before FEMA runs out of money.
Boehner said that the demand for disaster relief is still urgent from families struggling to rebuild as FEMA runs out of money and Reid should reconsider his opposition and quickly send the CR to the president.
“Last night the House passed a common sense measure that would keep the government open and provide immediate disaster relief to refill the FEMA coffers, and while we passed a responsible bill, it’s time for the Senate to move the House-passed bill,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “This bill was put together in a bipartisan way with House and Senate leaders and just because someone decided to change their mind and walk away from an understanding about how we were going to proceed certainly does not make it right.”
Boehner said that the offsets to pay for the extra money in the House-passed bill, which provides a $1 billion boost up-front for FEMA and $2.6 billion for FY2012, “really is the most responsible thing to do” and he warned Reid that “any delay that occurs because of inaction in the Senate will only imperil needed disaster relief for these thousands of families all across our country.”
Boehner said he spoke with Reid this morning about the impasse, but “there wasn’t much progress made.”
Cantor, R-Va., said since the House has acted to provide the disaster relief, it’s his intention to dismiss lawmakers in the lower chamber to leave Washington for a week-long recess for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.
“There’s no brinksmanship. Harry Reid is holding a bill up with full funding of what is needed right now for no reason, no reason but for politics,” Cantor said. “People need the money. The money’s in the bill. The emergency disaster request from the president is funded, and then some, times two, and so there’s no reason that Harry Reid is holding this up other than politics. Let’s get on with it, get the people their money.”
As for the possibility that Reid could bring a clean CR without disaster relief attached, Cantor said that would only lead to FEMA running out of money and put the onus on Reid to cave.
“Harry Reid is now talking about perhaps bringing up a clean CR without disaster relief funding. If that happens, FEMA will run out of money, and it will be on Harry Reid’s shoulders because he won’t act,” Cantor said. “The bill is there in front of him, the Senate should take the bill up and get the people who need the disaster relief the relief that they need.”
Joining Cantor and Boehner at the news conference were two freshmen from Pennsylvania whose districts were impacted by the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
“When disaster his anywhere on this world, the United States is the first to come to help, and now disaster has struck Americans. On Sunday night, we stop helping these people,” Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., said. “I’m going to ask everyone, everyone, to please help. They can’t wait five days. As we speak right now, as we are here in this beautiful building, the people back home are running generators; they have boots on up to their waist, as they struggle to put their life back together. We need help, and we need it now.”
“This is unconscionable what Mr. Reid is attempting to do, playing politics at a time when people in my district and Mr. Barletta’s district, and other districts up and down the east coast, have nothing,” Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., said. “These people have nothing. The federal government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from terrorists and from natural disasters, and the most important issue now is getting the money to the states and the locals.”
Barletta, who had voted against the CR on Wednesday because he said he preferred Reid’s stand-alone disaster relief bill, explained that he flipped because he “promised the people [in his district] that I would get them as much help as I possibly could.”
“I tried, and I did everything that I can. I did speak with Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor about the problems and how we need to get help,” Barletta said. “But when it comes down to the choice of shutting our government down and cutting off the funding, both Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor assured me that the folks back home in northeastern Pennsylvania will get the assistance that they need, that we will not let them down, they will have what they need to put their life together.”
As Cantor walked back to his office, he would not rule out whether he’d call the House back into session next week if the Senate continues to play hardball.
“I’m assuming this is all political posturing. We’ve got to get serious now, deliver the disaster money that’s needed. Anything coming out of the Senate seems to me to be only for a shutdown of FEMA,” Cantor said. “If we’re back in Washington, it means Harry Reid has shut down FEMA and denied disaster victims their relief.”
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I am absolutely stunned how the GOP gets away with criticizing people for rheir lack of productivity when they have accomplished nothing…no jobs….no ideas….they seem to only know how to obstruct anything put on the table that does not come from them. They refuse to give in and will waste another year with these tactics meanwhile the country is suffering and they will blame it all on President Obama. They simply refuse to work together on anything…and then turn around and blame everyone else for their stubborness and lack of productivity. Their stalling of the Fema bill is cruel and unAmerican. Never before have we ever put conditions on helping our fellow Americans. If they would agree to revenues we would not be in such a money bind as increasing revenues increases the money flow. They know this but are so stuck on deficit spending it is ridiculous. While I agree we need to concentrate on spending….we still need to spend and cannot wait until every penny is accounted for. That is why we have this committee to work toward this….meanwhile there are jobs that need to be created for infrastructure and other areas. We need to invest in green energy and get some people back to work. But, this is not their plan…their plan is for the country to get in such a hole where they can say look at what Obama did when in fact they are the ones who are causing much of this mess. I never met or saw such hateful people…they put their hate for this president ahead of what is good for the economy. How insane is that? Every administration had some problems but many put their differences aside and worked together but they say “my way or the highway” and then they accuse Obama of doing this. He has bent enough to try to please this group of fools and he is not going to anymore and I hope he does not give in one more time. Instead of saying he is working with us…they say he is weak…look he is giving in. There is no working together with this bunch of people with no conscience.
Posted by: talmag | September 23, 2011, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Posted by: talmag | September 23, 2011, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
A shame the Senate is run by Republicans too…Especially Reid (R), NV…
But meanwhile, in Missouri:
By ALEXANDER BURNS | 9/23/11 12:12 PM EDT
President Barack Obama will raise money in early October with a Missouri businessman whose company benefited from a $107 million federal tax credit to develop a wind power facility in his state.
Tom Carnahan, a scion of Missouri’s most prominent Democratic political family, is listed on Obama’s campaign website as a host of a $25,000-per-person fundraiser to be held in St. Louis on October 4.
His investment firm, Wind Capital Group, was helped by a sizable credit authorized in the stimulus, for an energy project in northwest Missouri.
Posted by: Sigh | September 23, 2011, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
That is correct.
Harry Reid is an obstructionist.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 23, 2011, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
Obstructionist? Only in your country…
By JENNIFER EPSTEIN | 4/18/11 8:11 AM EDT Updated: 4/18/11 1:49 PM EDT
A Senate delegation led by Majority Leader Harry Reid arrived in Hong Kong on Monday for the start of a weeklong tour of China.
He and nine other senators will spend the week on an “informational trip” during which they plan to meet with government officials and visit American investments and clean energy projects, Democratic leadership said in a statement. The senators plan to discuss “issues including clean energy, trade issues, currency, foreign policy and human rights” with Chinese officials.
Posted by: Article 136 | September 23, 2011, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
“They simply refuse to work together on anything…and then turn around and blame everyone else for their stubborness and lack of productivity.” Every time that the Republicans would vote against a bill they were called obstructionists. Why is it that since the Democrats have been blocking everything coming out of the House since January you STILL blame the Republicans, especially since the Democrats insist on doing the same thing that lost them so many seats? When Boehner promised after the 2010 elections to rein in government spending Reid’s comment was “That’s not going to happen.” The voters tried to send a message to Washington back in November. Reid apparently never got it. Neither did you.
Posted by: Publius | September 23, 2011, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
Sorry Boehner and Cantor, it is YOU who are muddying the waters and turning a blind eye to those in disaster areas by making everything part of your political game!!! It is unconscionable that the Republicans put the FEMA aid in the CR. For some reason, this party has decided that Everything has to be dirtied up with other maters. They do this because they know the Democrats will not go along with their little game, thus killing their bill. The Republicans also know that if the FEMA funds had been a separate “clean” bill it would have sailed through, giving time to go through the CR as a separate measure.
Posted by: kay | September 23, 2011, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
–Sorry Boehner and Cantor, it is YOU who are muddying the waters and turning a blind eye to those in disaster areas by making everything part of your political game!!! It is unconscionable that the Republicans put the FEMA aid in the CR. For some reason, this party has decided that Everything has to be dirtied up with other maters. They do this because they know the Democrats will not go along with their little game, thus killing their bill. The Republicans also know that if the FEMA funds had been a separate “clean” bill it would have sailed through, giving time to go through the CR as a separate measure.–
Those horrid Senators! Just like that time they forced the 97-0 vote!
Posted by: Either/Or | September 23, 2011, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
It is hard to believe these guys are Adults…
Posted by: threeriverscrossing | September 23, 2011, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
Republican Brinksmanship!!!!! They threaten FEMA funding unless there are off-sets. It’s disgusting and I’ll never, ever, ever, ever, ever vote Republican as long as I live. I voted for Reagan.
Ronald Reagan would turn Democrat today. These people sicken me. Pass a clean Continuing Resolution without games and brinksmanship.
Recall Cantor and Boehner
Posted by: Jerry | September 23, 2011, 8:56 pm 8:56 pm
How typically Republican. It’s always someone else’s fault.
Posted by: mike | September 24, 2011, 8:47 am 8:47 am
Boehner and the house agreed to fund FEMA but attached a rider (poison pill) that would cut 45,000 energy sector jobs. Harry Reid should not cave in, shut it down if need be. The house republicans pull this crap every time a bill is up for consideration. I think they honestly believe Americans are so stupid they’ll fall for it.
Posted by: tferretti | September 24, 2011, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
The government spends more money everyday than it brings in… so shut it down and save some money. It was shut down in the mid-1990s and no one noticed. Shut it down.
Posted by: raspberries88 | September 24, 2011, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Reid is doing the right thing by sending it back to the house with the cuts removed. Now it will be up to the House to pass a clean bill for funding the disaster aid. The house republicans can’t decide where the cuts should come from, all cuts should be decided by both sides.
Posted by: focusonjobs1 | September 24, 2011, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
This was a bipartisan bill, both democrats and republicans agreed to it, now all over sudden Reid,(senile senator from nevada) does not like it. Wow.
Posted by: Lizzie | September 24, 2011, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., said “These people have nothing. The federal government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from terrorists and from natural disasters….”
Where does it say that in the Constitution? I love how Republicans only seem to want to support FEMA when it suits them personally. If you were REALLY sincere about funding FEMA, then get your leadership to submit a clean FEMA funding bill. By adding amendments to it that de-fund other programs, you end up politicizing what should be a routine procedure. In other words, you “Republican-it-up” big time…….
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
This was a bipartisan bill, both democrats and republicans agreed to it….
Posted by: Lizzie | September 24, 2011, 1:40 pm
SIX House Dems voted for it. That is hardly bipartisan……….
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
The bottom line is this, “most conservative and republicans are full of it!” It is clear that they are attaching elements to bills that are cancerous in order to blame someone else( fill in the blank) for their conservative mischief! Their base know they are full of it,however, they go along with it in order to get Obama! How sad and sick is this?
Posted by: bobbob7779311 | September 24, 2011, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm
Let the churches take over and show everyone we don’t need a huge government.
Posted by: J | September 24, 2011, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
Congress appropriated billions of dollars to fight wars for the Abu Dhabi oil cartel. They need to vote up money for domestic policy.
Posted by: dustin58sc | September 25, 2011, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
Oh Pfft, Let them shut down if Reid is to stupid to pass the presented bill. YES the government NEEDS TO start being more RESPONSIBLE . I am all for the offsets. Good job John!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Smartthinking | September 26, 2011, 7:24 am 7:24 am
Democrats drag our country into the mudd all the time. You people amaze me and now I finally have figured out who the bankrupters are, its you the democrats. If you people really believe this fantasy about spending then it will be you that brings this country down. You have to be reasonable here and stop looking at this as Democratic … Republican. In any situation when new bills are aquired you must make concessions. Do you go out and get a loan for 50K after you buy a new car????????? NO you dont what you do is tighten youre belt. Freaken moron democrats
Posted by: Smartthinking | September 26, 2011, 7:28 am 7:28 am
its Amazing That These Cut, Cap, and Balance People Didn’t ever Show Up During The BUSH ADMINISTRATION. Now Every Crisis Is President Obama’s Fault or Mr. Reid. THOSE JOB KILLING TEA PARTY FOLKS, AND THOSE JOB KILLING REPUBLICANS ARE ONLY GOOD AT PLACING THE BLAME ON SOMEONE ELSE. And We Are Going To Vote Them Out Of Office In 2012!!!! NOW BLAME THAT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA.
Posted by: charity0316 | September 26, 2011, 8:52 am 8:52 am
Apparently, Harry Reid has recieved his White House marching orders.
Posted by: newcountryman | September 26, 2011, 8:59 am 8:59 am
The repubican tea party (confederacy of dunces) insist on focusing on spending when the big problem in the economy is consumer confidence, hence jobs. They choose to fiddle while Rome burns.
Posted by: tferretti | September 26, 2011, 2:50 pm 2:50 pm
Boehner just doesn’t get it. Harry Reid has his White House marching orders. You can’t blame him.
Posted by: newcountryman | September 26, 2011, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm