The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved $9.7 billion to expedite payments of federal flood insurance claims filed by victims of Hurricane Sandy, with plans to vote on a larger relief package sometime next week.
Friday’s vote followed scathing criticism from northeastern congressional Republicans and Democrats after Republican leadership in the House failed earlier in the week to bring forward a vote on a $60.4 billion U.S. Senate-approved Hurricane Sandy relief bill. A vote on the larger bill is expected to occur around January 14 or January 15, according to Oliver Longwell, U.S. Representative Tim Bishop’s communications director.
A chorus of angry lawmakers sounded off on the Republican leadership’s inaction on the bill, which was brought to a screeching halt when Republican leadership opted not to bring it to the... more
Friday’s vote followed scathing criticism from northeastern congressional Republicans and Democrats after Republican leadership in the House failed earlier in the week to bring forward a vote on a $60.4 billion U.S. Senate-approved Hurricane Sandy relief bill. A vote on the larger bill is expected to occur around January 14 or January 15, according to Oliver Longwell, U.S. Representative Tim Bishop’s communications director.
A chorus of angry lawmakers sounded off on the Republican leadership’s inaction on the bill, which was brought to a screeching halt when Republican leadership opted not to bring it to the... more



Jan 8, 2013 5:45 PM






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Well Right-wingers....Comments about how your leadership is handling this?
Try googling that phrase...
It has nothing to do with helping people rebuild their homes. FEMA was already appropriated 6 billion dollars to do that, and they still have about 4 billion still not spent. A FEMA spokesperson said that they will not need additional funding for at least six more months.
This Hurricane Relief bill is the same bill that two weeks ago the politicians were complaining about as having to much pork. Most of the projects in this bill will not even ...more be started within the next two years.
Also, this bill would take up 10% of Congress' descretionary spending for the year but they wanted a vote with no discussion or debate.
Massive pork, no debate, another 20 billion in debt because the government only takes in 2 dollars for every 3 they spend, I am glad the vote was cancelled so that others can see what Pork Fest this bill is.
To bad all the wastefull spending will be a minor note while politicians have fake outrage will be the headlines.
I know it seems like I harp on bankers, corporates, and Congress, BUT I see so many parallels between the late 19th century America, and today's America. All the repeated crashes, poverty, and seemingly untouchable "elite". We've been warned quite well by the past how Oligarchy, aristocracy, and "nobility" work out for everyone. Seems "We" don't learn very well, however.
"Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus ."
We are slaves of the law in order that we may be ...more able to be free.
~ Cicero
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."
~ Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1861
"The American people are right in demanding that New Nationalism, without which we cannot hope to deal with new problems. The New Nationalism puts the national need before sectional or personal advantage. It is impatient of the utter confusion that results from local legislatures attempting to treat national issues as local issues. It is still more impatient of the impotence which springs from over division of governmental powers, the impotence which makes it possible for local selfishness or for legal cunning, hired by wealthy special interests, to bring national activities to a deadlock. This New Nationalism regards the executive power as the steward of the public welfare. It demands of the judiciary that it shall be interested primarily in human welfare rather than in property, just as it demands that the representative body shall represent all the people rather than any one class or section of the people."
"Those who oppose reform will do well to remember that ruin in its worst form is inevitable if our national life brings us nothing better than swollen fortunes for the few and the triumph in both politics and business of a sordid and selfish materialism."
~ Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (Osawatomie, Kansas 1910)
To the point of the article, if there wasn't a pile of pork in the bill, it would have sailed through. Thank God there are a few in congress with the spine to stand up and say ENOUGH!
Get to steppin and learn some American history.