E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSPresident Barack Obama requested Friday that Congress authorize $60.4 billion in emergency spending to help the states hit by the supers-storm Sandy in late October.
A House Democratic aide told NBC News that they "even though it's reasonable, we don't expect Republicans to just hand it over. We're going to have to fight for it."
Some congressional Republicans have said that the money spent on Sandy ought to be offset with spending cuts in other parts of the federal budget; most Democrats do not seek offsets.
In a joint statement, Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., co-chairs of the bipartisan congressional task force on recovering from Tropical Sandy, praised Obama's request. "While more may be needed in the long term, this robust package is a major first step that we will work to pass as quickly as possible in Congress to help devastated communities, families and businesses."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D- N.Y. said Thursday that Congress ought to approve the emergency spending for recovery from the storm in a separate bill, not as part of the year-end "fiscal cliff" package which Obama and congressional leaders are negotiating.
"Disaster aid has never been part of any kind of deficit reduction plan.... It's a one-time allocation and you don't need it after that. We prefer to keep it separate and I think that's the White House plan," Schumer told reporters in a briefing with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D- Ill.
At a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing Thursday, Sen. Robert Menendez, D- N.J. made the case that New Jersey had supported other states when they were recovering from natural disasters and now New Jersey deserves commensurate help from them.
“When we had Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast in Mississippi and Alabama and Louisiana, I was there,” Menendez told HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who is leading the administration’s Sandy recovery initiative. “When we had tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, I was there. When we had flooding along the Mississippi, I was there….. Because I believe this is the United States of America. So I fully expect that now that now for the first time we have the type of devastation that others have suffered and should understand that we're going to have the type of response that others have received.”
NBC’s Luke Russert contributed to this story
Leave a Comment:
New Jersey receives 0.61 for each tax dollar paid. Nevada receives 0.65 per tax dollar paid. Connecticut receives 0.69 for each tax dollar paid New Hampshire receives 0.71 for each tax dollar it pays. Minnesota receives 0.72 per tax dollar paid. Illinois receives 0.75 for each tax dollar it pays. Delaware receives 0.77 per tax dollar paid. California receives 0.78 per tax dollar paid.
New York receives 0.79 per tax dollar paid. Colorado receives 0.81 per tax dollar paid. Massachusetts receives 0.82 for each tax dollar it pays. Wisconsin receives 0.86 per tax dollar paid. Washington receives 0.88 per tax dollar paid. Michigan receives 0.92 per tax dollar paid. Texas receives 0.94 per tax dollar paid. Florida receives 0.97 for each tax dollar it pays. Oregon receives 0.98 per tax dollar paid. Rhode Island receives 1.00 per tax dollar paid. Georgia receives 1.01 per tax dollar paid.
Indiana receives 1.05 for each tax dollar it pays. Ohio receives 1.05 per tax dollar paid. Pennsylvania receives 1.07 per tax dollar paid. Utah receives 1.07 per tax dollar paid. North Carolina receives 1.08 per tax dollar paid. Vermont receives 1.08 for each tax dollar it pays. Iowa receives 1.10 per tax dollar paid. Nebraska receives 1.10 per tax dollar paid. Wyoming receives 1.11 per tax dollar paid. Kansas receives 1.12 for each tax dollar it pays.
Arizona receives 1.19 per tax dollar paid. Idaho receives 1.21 per tax dollar paid. Tennessee receives 1.27 per tax dollar paid. Maryland receives 1.30 for each tax dollar it pays. Missouri receives 1.32 per tax dollar paid. South Carolina receives 1.35 per tax dollar paid. Oklahoma receives 1.36 per tax dollar paid. Arkansas receives 1.41 per tax dollar paid. Maine receives 1.41 per tax dollar paid. Hawaii receives 1.44 per tax dollar paid. Montana receives 1.47 per tax dollar paid.
Kentucky receives 1.51 per tax dollar paid. Virginia receives 1.51 per tax dollar paid. South Dakota receives 1.53 per tax dollar paid. Alabama receives 1.66 per tax dollar paid. North Dakota receives 1.68 per tax dollar paid. West Virginia receives 1.76 per tax dollar paid. Louisiana receives 1.78 per tax dollar paid. Alaska receives 1.84 per tax dollar paid. Mississippi receives 2.02 per tax dollar paid. New Mexico receives 2.03 per tax dollar paid.
17 states that receive less then they pay,1 neutral, 32 Deadbeats. AND now that we actually need help, everyone wants to cry about it.
The richer states can afford to pay a little bit more so that they pay their fair share...what's wrong with that???
The problem with that is now that we actually have a problem we need help with all the deadbeats are crying about it
Obama supporters cried like babies when Bush and his man Bernanke added $5.1 trillion to the national debt in 8 years.
Obama supporters hail Obama as a great leader when Obama and Bush's man Beranke added over $6 trillion to the national debt is less than 4 years.
The sad part is that the Obama suporters aren't crying now that Obama, Bush's man Beranke and his lap dog democrats want to add an additional minimum of $2 trillion to the nation debt in each of the next four years.
and that list and list of richest states are not the same . New jersey #1 on ths list NY #9 on richest states #3 and #16 respectively. Some far worse but listed them since they are the ones who actually need help this time.
Michael -
It's hell being caught in a ponzi scheme...but that's the way it goes when you give money to politicians who "promise" to give it back to you when you need it...
No thats what happens when you got republicans. If they need it well then the gov should pay it no questions. If someone else needs it then those entitlements are going to come with conditions.
Reality Check. Obama is facing falling off a financial clift because of the over 6 trillion he added to the national debt in less than 4 years.
Its being projected that on March 1, 2013 our government will shut dow because it will default on it loans.
He's offering no cuts in spending but wants to reduce entitlements to the people in need in order to get the approval to borrow more money. Trillion in more money.
Reelecting Obama has condemned this country to financial suicide by Obama. Credit is nothing but a economic tool and like all tools if abused, it will hurt or destroy.
Obama borrowed money and reached the debt limit and our government was going to shut down on August 2, 2011. Obama borrowed even more money and the debt limit was reached with the government almost shutting down on October 1, 2012. Obama borrowed even more money and we are facing a financial cliff on January 1, 2013 and a possible shut down on or before March 1, 2013 when the debt limit will be reached.
Obama's solution to this is to borrow more money. Trilllion in more money.
The reality check is that Obama's debts will have to be repaid by someone and it won't be the poor or the rich.
what happened
Do you know who proposes, votes on and passes on appropriations? Those are the ones that are responsible for the spending. The President can only veto or sign. You stop and figure out who is in charge of the debt.
I doubt if 60 billion will be enough to repair all the damage.
Those are union jobs and then there are the feature creeps that get involved whenever there is "free" money...we need to build a sea wall so it will never happen again...we need a new government agency to make sure FEMA does there job...we need a video made so we can blame this mess on republicans during the next election...we need...we need...we need...
$500 billion at least...
Elevating the foundation, building the barrier, going green technology, e.g. solar or natural gas source, and having flexibility of energy source, e.g. portable solar power, all these re-building efforts can be applicable for the 21st century to re-build a better one.
God bless.
Please don't let me stop you from writing the check.
HOWEVER.... don't ask the children of my grandchildren who are still in elementary school to pay for YOUR flights of fancy.
Obama promised millions to the people of the Gulf oil spill crisis. How many of they have actually received any of it?
Periodically there is a news story about the struggles the people are having because they haven't received a dime yet of the promised money.
Just saying talk is cheap if you don't deliver on your promises. If I were a victim of Sandy, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Obama to deliver.
This is a problem which should be handled by Allstate, State Farm, and other insurance companies. It is why people pay premiums. The feral government should not use taxpayer money to bail out those stupid enough to live in areas subject to storm surge.
Or as the Tea-Party would say...... 'Let 'em die'!
Of course maybe more investment in clean energy and pollution controls to minimize global warming might also have helped but again the Tea-Party says ....... 'what global warming?'
You, John, are a typical right-winger. I hope you do not find yourself in a position where you may need some help from a problem not of your own doing. But you would probably get help anyway because that is the right thing to do.
ghult
Or how about the concept of NOT building on the shore? How about I not feel sorry for some fool who decides he'll outsmart nature by building his house on STILTS to aviod the water from storms.
How about you NOT asking others to pay for YOUR bad decisions?
You can't have freedom without being free to suffer the consequences of bad decisions. Build in areas subject to storm surge, suffer the consequences.
BTW, those areas were subject to surge in 1991, 1950, 1912, 1900, etc, etc, etc. Nor'easters and hurricanes are nothing new. This isn't a result of "global warming". This is weather, same as it has always been, causing problems for those in low lying coastal areas. Don't want those problems? Don't live there.
I've never asked for help from Uncle Sap, and have no intention of doing so. I've paid my own share of the costs of government (and unfortunately the share of several parasites as well) all of my life. All I ask is for the feral government to adhere to the Constitution, do what it requires, and do NOT do anything it doesn't explicitly require. The Constitution most definitely doesn't require anything to be done about the weather.
ghult -
I'm all for global warming...how do you think the glaciers that use to cover most of the US melted...damn do you want to go back to the ice age???
Use to have snow and ice storms in our area now it's a pleasant 70 degrees...if you like cold weather keep moving north till you're happy...
Yeah that was the highest storm surge that new jersey has seen ever. Well at least as far as they can figure at least 1836. And you show me one place in this country that is not susceptible to at least 1 form of natural disaster. And this is not money for people's houses it to fix all the other stuff. You know stuff uncle sam provides for you but you conveniently forget about. Bridges, roads, ect.' not to mention removal of tons of garbage.
Michael Mellnick
Bridges, roads, etc. Do you speak of things like the Verazanno Narrows Bridge? The one built with bonds paid for by the USERS of the bridge via tolls? That is until, the "politicians" felt it was easier further taxing those rich car drivers and subsidize further those poor people forced to use the buses and subways in NYC because they couldn't afford a car? Oh that's right, there's more people using mass transit than drivers, and the majority of drivers were in the outer boroughs, like Staten Island. There were a great many more transit riders to bribe than there were car drivers. Correct? Politicians buying votes.
Or further east. The tolls which paid the bonds to build the Southern State Parkway. After the SSP was paid for, not only did they continue the toll, but NYS tried to RAISE it. That is until they realized, unlike NYC, there were MORE VOTERS driving on LI than were taking mass transit. Not only was the toll increase rolled back, it was ELIMINATED because the PEOPLE paying OUTNUMBERED the people taking.
Save me your sob story. Live in a hurricane prone area, expect to be hit by hurricanes. Live on the shore, expect to be flooded. If you live in those areas, PREPARE for what you KNOW will come. Don't expect everyone else to continually make you whole again because of poor decisions.
And again this money is not for people's houses. And just where in the country is safe from some form of natural disaster. Continually make us whole yeah cause we get hurricanes all the time here in NJ, man you would think its florida. No wait they are republican so they don't say a word when they need money to rebuild year after year.
I'll assume you're too young to remember Hurricanes Camille or Donna. They devastated the east coast including NJ and NY. I remember them.
Or you're forgetting the NorEasters that frequent the area on an almost annual basis.
When was the last time the shores and dunes were "replenished"? Have you not yet learned that nature will win, regardless of how many times you rebuild it, or how big the jetties and or dunes are built?
Oh, when was the last time the boardwalk was damaged or nearly destroyed? How many times has it been rebuilt?
While I'm not advocating for no funding, what I DO want is accountability and have the funds spent responsibily. WHY do you continue to rebuild the same structure in the same place over and over again, only to have nature destroy it? Isn't that the definition if insanity? Or doesn't it matter as it's not your money paying to to the rebuilding?
Gee Mr. President. Why don't you ask Psy to kick in when you and Michelle are entertained by him.
Oops, I forgot he hates Americans. Well, he ought to fit right in with Michelle. She hates us too. Maybe she could ask him to kick in.
DC has a spending problem. Always has. That's why we are where we are. 60Billion in aid Mr. President? I say take it from the Defense Dept.budget. More than enough there! Problem solved. As a foot note, I support "Disaster Aid"with responsibility and integrity. Ok,I know, DC has neither.
...why should these funds not be subject to offsets also? you're supposedly trying to reduce spending, yet all you can see is spending more money! okay, spend money here, don't spend it there. you decide! but if you're really planning to reduce the deficit, let alone the debt, you gotta start somewhere.
Thar Christy blows!
No mention of what government programs Obama want to cut for Sandy recovery money.
And -- no mention from the Republicans of where the spending cuts THEY are proposing as offsets should come from! It's the same with the proposal to cut loopholes rather than raise rates. They won't say WHICH loopholes they would cut. THEY are the ones saying there should be offsets and no rates raised so why don't they say where those offsets should come from? Simply saying there should be offsets is NOT offering a solution.
sure can tell republicans posting can't get over their bitterness that president obama won again. babbling their craziness about not helping areas in our country that need it and putting down our president.
Why? These people have been told and told, not if, but when the storm hits. They and the city should have been better prepared.
Why should the rest of the U.S. pay for their ignorance in getting personal protection against a major storm? There are thousands of other cities that have been hit just as hard with natural disasters, or even financial because NO leadership in making the people responsible for their own property if a major storm hits.
The best president in history? What a joke! He is the most wasteful, most fiscal irresponsible to the whole nation that has ever sat in the White House. With his socialist liberal agenda we are circling the drain faster every day.
60 billion for one little part of one state that people should have had private insurance, and that the city should have carried insurance to match what was a given someday. BullCr*P.
They do not deserve it any more than my city that is suffering from factory shutdowns. If they get 60 billion then our city gets 60 billion to save our homes and our economy.
let's go forrrwwwwaaaarrrrdddd !!!
When you run out of other peoples money, who will pay for you?
You surely don't have the mental capability to understand that concept. Or, do you believe others owe you something for taking up space contributing nothing?
And when the money is passed out, I'll bet there will be a lot or Obama bashing, Birther,Bachmann and Palin fans in line with their hands out. Republicans, hypocrisy at it's best.
hhaHhh PRINT MORE FAKE MONEY. FAKE FAKE MONEY.. YAYYYYY..
we can and we must provide this aid to the storm ravaged people. this money will be spent for americans and will put americans to work. i'd gladly pay taxes to help fellow americans come back from this devastation and consider it money well spent. i support entitlements for people in need. i do not support the ''entitlements'' given to the war industry---and the republicans gladly pay haliburton and all the war contractors -over billing -no problem. we never run out of money when it comes to war. obama being re-elected was a bitter pill for the war machine -old romney has many weapons manufacturers who gave generously to his campaign. they were sure he'd fill their coffers with billions of dollars for more weapons. let's decrease the war budget and spend the money on rebuilding for our fellow americans.
merry christmas to the new jersey people-may you have your homes back by next christmas!
I was wondering...do you suppose all those "people" who contributed over two billion dollars to the two presidential campaigns would care to contribute money toward the clean-up?
Or do you think they were just trying to buy politicians? (rhetorical question)...
Why is the Emperor bothering to ask anyone??
Why doesn't he just use 'executive privilege' to simply write them a check?
Funny... Bush signed relief for Katrina in 4 days after the storm... What a bad guy he looked like...
Btw: it was for 10 billion, and 7200 troops to assist. Just shows how Obama is spending as much as he can as fast as he can.
Don't think Obama is standing strong for tax cuts on the Fiscal Cliff... we've already been told that the tax hikes on the rich are fine... he just doesn't want to stop the spending... Think about it Zombamaoids...
Obama is asking for billions of dollars to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy yet he is spending millions on inaugural festivities and social parties during his un-fortunate inauguration. Just goes to show you where your President's priorities are.
Look at the satellite maps on New Orleans and see how many vacant lots there are with no houses built on even today how many years later. Fema gave money away like a drunken sailor to the residents and awarded them $82.000 each. Where did that money go ? Probably to Texas and anywhere else but New Orleans. The French Quarter was built on higher ground and few people from the city got to seek refuge there because of the police keeping the residents out of there. The entire Katrina civil defense plan was garbage and the mass media eploited New Orleans as a disaster and the rest of the country ate it up