Shutdown Showdown Redux? Congress Squabbles Over Disaster Relief Money
EmailSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., appear to be on a collision course that could once again threaten to shut down the federal government.
At issue is the amount of disaster relief funding Congress should enact to help hurricane, flood and tornado-ravaged communities.
The Senate last week passed a $7 billion FEMA relief bill. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for passage but House Republicans have a different strategy for FEMA funding. They want to attaching FEMA funding to a stop-gap continuing resolution that would be used to fund the federal government through Nov. 18th. The House legislation provides a little more than half as much as the Senate bill. House Republicans would provide $3.65 billion for disaster recovery, including approximately $1 billion divided between FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make up shortages in the 2011 fiscaL year, and an additional $2.65 billion for the full 2012 fiscal year.
Senate Democrats say this is not enough money for FEMA and chastised House Republicans for calling for relief aid to be off-set with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget when they don’t require the same standard for funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So today, Reid announced that when the House of Representatives sends over its CR, which the House will vote on tomorrow, he will amend it to include the $7 billion relief aid which passed in the Senate.
“I was disappointed to see that the House shortchanged the Federal Emergency Management Agency, by failing to provide the funding to adequately help Americans whose lives have been devastated by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes,” Reid said on the Senate floor this morning. “Tomorrow, when the Senate receives the House bill to fund the government for six more weeks, we will amend it with the language of the Senate FEMA legislation.”
That means that in order for the government to avoid shutting down next Friday, Sept. 30th, when the fiscal year ends, the House would need to pass the amended measure, including Reid’s extra relief money. Members of Congress want to get this done by this Friday, as next week they have a scheduled recess for Rosh Hashanah.
But now, as both sides stand firm, the path forward is unclear.
“We are going to continue this. We are not going to back down. Remember, the government doesn’t shut down on Thursday or Friday. If they want to stay into next week, that’s fine; we can do that. Next week — we can work all next week,” Reid said today following the Democrats weekly policy luncheon. “I heard the reports that Senator McConnell said there will be no shutdown. I am not that sure. I’m not that sure, because the tea party-driven House of Representatives has been so unreasonable in the past, I don’t know why they should suddenly be reasonable.”
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was asked how he thought the disaster relief funding battle would play out with Reid as the House moves to consider its continuing resolution Wednesday.
“We are delivering on the disaster relief that has been requested. No one will go without their needs being addressed, and I think the House bill, at $1.043 [trillion] is what we agreed to,” he said.
Reid today noted that the original $7 billion Senate funding bill had 10 Republican votes – and that he expects the same out of those senators when faced with the funding now being tied to the continuing resolution.
“It would seem to me that it would send a very, very sad message to home that because of partisanship, they’re going to back off of what is needed,” Reid said, challenging the group of Republicans who voted for his bill to do the same when he ties it to the CR.
“I want to thank the 10 Republican senators that stood against their party politics and put their states first and their communities first,” Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-LA., said today. “And I ask them to stand strong for their communities again. We need them to not cave to party petty politics. We need them to stand up for their states.”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer told reporters this morning that he was uncertain House Democrats could support the continuing resolution due to $1.5 trillion in cuts to new advanced technologies to offset the FEMA funding, and he suggested if Republicans moved a bill that includes those cuts, Republicans should expect to pass it without help from Democrats.
“We believe that the Republicans’ $1.5 billion cut in the advanced manufacturing technology initiative is counterproductive to growth in jobs and to the growth in the economy. We think they make a mistake,” Hoyer, D-Md., said. “My presumption is they will offer a CR which has that offset in it, and Democrats will be loath to support that effort because we think it is counterproductive.”
Cantor said it was clear “there is a game of politics being played here” by Congressional Democrats and emphasized that “the House is going to act” to pass its bill rather than face a showdown over a government shutdown.
“There’s no question that the money will be delivered. This is all about a political game for Harry Reid. I know Steny Hoyer understands that. Steny Hoyer also understands that we need to move on disaster relief and do so responsibly,” Cantor said. “No one is intending to bring about a government shutdown here. I think the country has sort of seen enough of that. The two sides have demonstrated a real difference as far as cutting spending is concerned. We’ve going to try and focus on where we can come together to pass a CR and to continue to focus on job creation, which is so desperately needed.”
Cantor was especially critical of Reid and blamed the Senate’s top Democrat for playing political games with the relief.
“It will be on Leader Reid’s shoulders because he’s the one playing politics with it. No one wants to stand in the way of disaster relief monies that are needed. There’s nothing else but politics going on with that move if that’s what happens,” Cantor said. “There’s nothing but politics involved if Harry Reid wants to go and play these games. We are delivering the monies that are needed. We are twice what is requested from the emergency standpoint and frontloading all of ’12 monies to the agencies to access right now.”
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, whose primary responsibility is counting votes, discounted the potential for Reid’s bill to pass in the House of Representatives.
“If Reid does what he does – I don’t see the votes on the [House] floor for it. So he’s holding up the ability for individuals to get the relief,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said. “They have it in the CR, it’ll pass out of here and go to the Senate. If Reid wants to play politics with it, I think that’s wrong and I think that’s shame on him.”
“Let’s not conflate the two issues here,” Cantor added. “There is an issue of emergency funding, which is the context for the pay-for discussion, and there is that which we budget for. The emergency funding is off-set and we did so responsibly. The budgeted for amounts is for the FY12 number frontloaded so the agency can access monies if it needs it.”
Today 68 House Democrats and one Republican sent a letter to the GOP leadership requesting an immediate up or down vote on the $6.9 billion emergency funding bill that passed last week in the Senate – but so far Cantor has rejected that option.
“The Senate legislation is comprehensive and fulfills the federal government’s obligations to small businesses, families and local governments affected by Irene, Lee and other natural disasters,” Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-New York, said. “The House legislation falls well short and would require a complicated mess of additional bills and offsets that are a recipe for gridlock. We can’t afford to play politics with this critical issue.”
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Cantor thinks he’s running the show, doesn’t know how to work things out in a balanced way… his way or the highway.
I thought Bohener said that approach was wrong when the President drew a line in the sand.
Posted by: Dewbacaa | September 20, 2011, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
Yet more proof that the Republicans care little about the well-being of anyone but the wealthy, as if anyone who has been paying attention needs more proof.
Posted by: Thinks2010 | September 20, 2011, 8:03 pm 8:03 pm
I found it very interesting that Boehner in his response to Obama reprimanded him for a “my way or the highway” position and within in minutes he said that revenue increases is off the table…well what does that leave but cuts….so…in other words….his way or the highway. I mean seriously he did not even attempt to disguise it….can you say hypocrite!!!!!
Just when you think that the Repubs can’t get any more ridiculous they do. This survival of the fittest – Ayn Rand philosophy – works with animals in the wild but I firmly believe that we are better then animals…..aren’t we?
Posted by: thefirstone | September 20, 2011, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm
THIS ARTICLE: “House Republicans would provide $3.65 billion for disaster recovery….Senate Democrats say this is not enough money for FEMA and chastised House Republicans for calling for relief aid to be off-set with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget when they don’t require the same standard for funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
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LOL! ….. Republicans never even paused, whimpered nor cried when they approved any of the following appropriations for Iraq between 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Not even ONCE did they require that any of the following funding for Iraq be “off-set” by spending cuts :
Sons-of-Iraq Program …………………………………………………………. $ 972,000,000 (~$1 billion)
Iraq Security Forces Fund ……………………………………………………. $ 14,039,000,000 ($14 billion)
Foreign Grants and Credits to Iraq–2003 to 2006 ……………………. $ 28,287,000,000 ($28 billion)
But now, of course, that we need to help our fellow Americans, Republicans want to make sure that that funding is “off-set” by spending cuts…. LOL! …………………. Fellow Americans who need FEMA right now… you ought to change your citizenship to “Iraqi”… LOL!… you’ll probably get better treatment from your Republican House of Representatives.
Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 20, 2011, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
They the Grand Ol Party of the rich simply don’t care – Let market forces decide who lives and who dies even in the midst of a natural catastrophe is their anthem – How do these people sleep at night?
If you asked Mr Cantor – He would probably smile and then say:
“I sleep very well thank you, in my sheets made of the finest Chinese silk.”
Posted by: Steve | September 20, 2011, 10:06 pm 10:06 pm
The Republicans would be screaming bloody murder if THEIR jurisdictions were scourged by wild fires, blown to smithereens by tornedos and hurricanes, or left underwater from floods, or suffered the resulting damages from earthquake or tsunami and FEMA wouldn’t be Johnny on the spot to help their constituants. As for the Army Corp. of Engineers, after the shoddy job they’d done protecting New Orleans’ levees from the force of Katrina, they’d have to change their stripes before I’d vote to fund them. The Republicans are also turning blind eyes to the damage of uncontrolled indistrial spills, trash, strip mining, deforesting their protection of the wealthy industrialists are causing to our planet. Earth is all we have. If we ignore it, don’t care for it, rape it repeatedly, humanity and all other living things will become extinct–including Republicans–though I’m beginning to believe those in Congress aren’t human; they’re aliens determined to destroy the rest of us.
Posted by: amn | September 20, 2011, 10:28 pm 10:28 pm
Shut er down Harry. The dang gubermint has been useless and too expensive ever since that O was elected.
Posted by: MartinK | September 20, 2011, 11:06 pm 11:06 pm
We send billions to Japan, Haiti, Somalia and anywhere a disaster occurs but if something happens here, there isn’t enough money.
It’s past time for Americans to stand up and tell Washington that were tired of our(?) federal government putting everyone and everything ahead of our citizens.
Posted by: oonogil | September 21, 2011, 12:58 am 12:58 am
They did this with the Debt Crisis. It’s no surprise they’re playing dangerous games again. They don’t have the best interests of this country at heart.
Posted by: BoboMcStevens | September 21, 2011, 1:38 am 1:38 am
Washington? YOUR FIRED!!!!!
Posted by: Todd | September 21, 2011, 2:10 am 2:10 am
It’s profoundly interesting that the party that likes to wear its religion (overwhelmingly Christian) on its sleeve can be so unChristian in its statements and actions. Their myopic fixation on the deficit at a time of national emergency caused by natural disasters shows how misguided they are. They act like misanthropic atheists. In 1776, the true patriots who fought the British looked down on those they called “tavern patriots”; the current crop of GOP candidates and elected officials should be called “tavern Christians”. Their Christianity ends when they leave the tavern, after a couple of drinks.
Posted by: Steve Hamilton | September 21, 2011, 2:11 am 2:11 am
Selfish, stingy Republicans again!
Posted by: JLS1950 | September 21, 2011, 2:51 am 2:51 am
Just remember this: Republicans did not cause Katrina, but they DID cause the damage of Katrina to be multiplied tenfold by their foot-dragging “response”!!! Too little, too late: the very definition of a Republican!
Posted by: JLS1950 | September 21, 2011, 2:53 am 2:53 am
You guys are brilliant. Yep, our government can hand out billions anytime right? If you haven’t noticed, we are broke, so the old way didn’t and isn’t working you bunch of Einsteins. What is wrong with offsetting the cost instead of simply throwing money at a whim? Oh, that might require Harry Reid to actually try and figure things out. He wouldn’t be able to spend att he record pace this administration is spending. Morons!
Posted by: CommonSenseParty | September 21, 2011, 4:41 am 4:41 am
COMMONSENSEPARTY | SEPTEMBER 21, 2011, 4:41 AM:
“You guys are brilliant. Yep, our government can hand out billions anytime right? If you haven’t noticed, we are broke, so the old way didn’t and isn’t working you bunch of Einsteins.”
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Are you that shallow and immature (and “moronic”) not to understand that this is all just political maneuvering Republicans are playing with this issue?
Here’s how the game works: Republicans approve less FEMA funding than is required, which results in inadequate FEMA support, which results in this administration’s response looking as bad as the Bush administration’s response to Katrina (which is hard to beat, but Republicans are trying).
I mean geese Ifrichar, even a bicycle mechanic has the “common sense” to figure out the political game going on…. LOL!…. one would think an aircraft mechanic would be able to be at the same capacity of simple recognition of political maneuvering by the GOP?… LOL! This is “political games 101″ being practiced by Republicans.
…and your other shallow comments only demonstrate more of your lack of capability to understand political games 101:
QUOTE: “If you haven’t noticed, we are broke, so the old way didn’t and isn’t working you bunch of Einsteins.”
LOL!……. Geese genius, no kidding…. LOL! …. We’ve been broke for 30 years (“duhh!), starting when with “Reagan Tax Cuts” (WITHOUT CUTS IN SPENDING), which resulted in:
Nixon/Ford increase to the national debt = $292 billion
Carter increase to the national debt = $280 billion
Reagan increase to the national debt (the new standard, set by a Republican) = $1.7 Trillion
…. and let’s not forget those “Bush Tax Cuts” (WITHOUT CUTS IN SPENDING), that accelerated our “broke-ness”, and resulted in the new “BUSH STANDARD” (i.e., increases of $5 Trillion or more to the national debt under 1 president), rather than that standard set by Reagan ($1.7 Trillion increases per president)
Clinton debt increase = $1.6 Trillion
Bush # 2 debt increase (the new standard, set by a Republican) = $4.9 Trillion
…. LOL! …… but of course, you are just now “noticing” that we’re broke, right now right? ….. LOL! …… you missed the other $10.6 Trillion, before this current president…. all those other years just “flew by your shallow brain”…. LMAO!
You completely miss the point, didn’t you….. the “hypocrisy” of the Republican party, to now be worried about “off-setting” expenditures with “spending cuts” ….. NOW, when Americans need this help, and when if they were truly that concerned, they should have been doing that all along for the past 30 years… starting with Reagan.
Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 21, 2011, 7:11 am 7:11 am
Stupid democrat idiots have to stop with the billion dollar spending. THis is rediculous. Here how about this. I need a million dollars please send it to me!!!!! STOP BLOWING MY MONEY and have some freaken common sense
Posted by: Hopenchangescam | September 21, 2011, 7:18 am 7:18 am
COMMONSENSEPARTY | SEPTEMBER 21, 2011, 4:41 AM:
“What is wrong with offsetting the cost instead of simply throwing money at a whim?”
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LOL! ……… Boy, I sure wish that Republicans were doing that kind of thinking when we were throwing that $43 billion worth of Economic and Security Training aide to Iraq (that doesn’t include the actual war cost by the way). ……….. We would have then had a $4.85 Trillion increase to the national debt under the 8 years of Bush, instead of a $4.9 trillion dollar increase.
Oh, but now we have someone with a “(D)” beside his name in the White House, so…. Noooooooow…. Republicans want to offset spending with spending cuts. ……… LOL!
…. and the Re-Publi-Tard-Minions still don’t see the hypocrisy in the games being played… LOL!
Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 21, 2011, 7:21 am 7:21 am
After reading a different blog where 90% of the bloggers wanted the government shut down, it;s refreshing to read some sane comments about this situation.
Posted by: rjstolb | September 21, 2011, 7:42 am 7:42 am
How do these Republicans get away with this hardline stuff in their districts? I’d really like to know how Virginians and Ohioans feel about Cantor and Boehner.
Posted by: Bob | September 21, 2011, 8:24 am 8:24 am
Two wars for Iraq while the Republicans were in charge were paid for with continuing resolutions. They were not in the budget until Obama put them there, hiking the spending that everyone attributes to him. They NEVER cut spending while they had control – Medicare D was NEVE R funded!! The Republicans spent like lottery winners at Tiffanys when they had full control. NOW they scream poverty. They want those hurting the most to pay the most while the wealthiest who have already benefited more than anyone in the past 30 years to benefit even more. The wealthy in this country have seen their income go UP 80% while the middle class have actually seen their income go DOWN> the republicans do NOT care about anything but their agenda!!
Posted by: kay | September 21, 2011, 8:40 am 8:40 am
KAY | September 21, 2011, 8:40 AM:
“Two wars for Iraq while the Republicans were in charge were paid for with continuing resolutions. They were not in the budget until Obama put them there, hiking the spending that everyone attributes to him. They NEVER cut spending while they had control – Medicare D was NEVE R funded!! The Republicans spent like lottery winners at Tiffanys….”
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LOL! ……… As I said Kay, if our hurricane, earthquake and tornado victims changed their citizenship to “Iraqi” and moved to Iraq, they’d get better treatment from Republicans than they do now. …. LOl!
Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 21, 2011, 9:18 am 9:18 am
Posted by: Bob—They elected them, that’s how they feel.
Posted by: snewsom2997 | September 21, 2011, 9:30 am 9:30 am
Posted by: kay—The wealthy adapted to the changing economy, some in the middle class did, some didn’t. those that did have jobs those that didn’t don’t. The middle class will never again be attainable by people with just a High School Education, those low education low skilled jobs will be taken by the Chinese who will work for a fraction of the cost, or they will remain here and become high skilled high education jobs that require a fraction of the people. Both side voted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which is more than people can say about the conflict in Lybia.
Posted by: snewsom2997 | September 21, 2011, 9:35 am 9:35 am
actually, snewsome, I do not agree that it all had to do with the “changing with the times”. While some people did prosper in that way, a great deal had to do with the complete lack of regulations on Wall Street and businesses allowing them to outsource the jobs, “saving” money by closing American factories, etc and then rewarding themselves for these Wonderful Decisions. Wall Street, big banks and these huge corps and their upper management made out like bandits and we are the ones left holding the empty sack. I know many small business men and women who adapted and did everything right only to lose it all while the banks, etc did not suffer one iota..
Posted by: kay | September 21, 2011, 10:04 am 10:04 am
Will someone please explain to me why there is money galore for wars and rebuilidng of other countries, but when our own country is hit with a disaster there is none? GOP should be ashamed of themselves. I know people here in NJ who do not live in a flood area but got hit because this storm was just out of control. And even if you had flood ins. it pays very little. Shame on us.
Posted by: Barb | September 21, 2011, 10:56 am 10:56 am
and we also give tons to other countries…not just when they have disasters but in general. So if we have a disaster we should suffer but if another country has one we are the first to help. Unreal.
Posted by: Barb | September 21, 2011, 10:58 am 10:58 am
Spending by democrats from 2007 to 2010. 5.2 trillion
Posted by: Lizzie | September 21, 2011, 11:32 am 11:32 am
If the “shutdown” includes the White House, let ‘er rip. We can stand the improvement!
Posted by: ray | September 21, 2011, 11:35 am 11:35 am
SNEWSOM2997, September 21, 2011, 9:35 AM:
“Both side voted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan…”
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LOL! …. Do your homework. There’s a difference between just saying everyone “voted” for the Iraq War, and defining who “voting ‘yea’ or ‘nay’” for the Iraq War… LOL!
IRAQ WAR RESOLUTION, Public Law 107-243, also known as H.J. Resolution 114… VOTING RECORD:
The House: ……………………………… Yea …………………. Nay
Republicans …………………………….. 213 ………………….. 6 (Republicans voted for the Iraq War)
Democrats ………………………………. 81 ………………….. 126 (Democrats voted against the Iraq War)
Independents …………………………… 2 ………………….. 1
Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 21, 2011, 11:46 am 11:46 am
The squabble, is not over disaster relief…….it is over spending, and the Dems just want to keep increasing spending. To increase funding for disaster relief, there have to be cuts elsewhere……pure and simple.
We have to stop expanding our spending, in huge increases.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 21, 2011, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
A thousand dollars a second for the wars. A thousand dollars a second for the wars…
Posted by: signalfire | September 21, 2011, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
Just take the DOJs muffin money and the problem is solved… ho many $16 muffins would it take? Hmmm, might have to kick-in the cookie money too.
Posted by: Raspberries88 | September 21, 2011, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
The actions of the Republicans is complete insanity. We have to work together as a nation in times of disaster, this idea of cutting programs to get legislation through to help people in need is crazy. Now we have a small group of tea baggers in the house creating havoc with every bill. Trying to cut programs and not let a clean bill flow creates a crisis with every piece of legislation. These tea baggers have proven they cannot govern, they must go in 2012. They want to destroy all social safety net programs. Lets all middle class Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Labor, Gays, Independents, Moderate Republicans, and Youth help vote out all bible thumping religious fanatics and tea bagging wacko Republicans in 2012. It is a must for the fast disappearing middle class.
Posted by: packeryman | September 25, 2011, 11:17 am 11:17 am
Billy Fischer would’ve written it better than you, had he still been alive. RIP BILLY! :’(
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