E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe region that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy last October is close to getting the federal aid that has been requested to help rebuild, but other disaster-hit areas of the country may be left waiting.
Colorado watersheds devastated by last June’s wildfires still need protection from melting snows, spring rains and mudslides. And Alaska fishermen are still looking for federal aid to cope with a fishery disaster and with industrial contaminants and debris from Japan’s 2011 tsunami.
But the chance to get emergency federal funds for those pressing needs is slipping away.
Susan Walsh / AP
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. walks out of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, following the counting of Electoral College votes.
Next week the Senate is slated to take up the Disaster Appropriations Relief Act to aid individuals and businesses recovering from Hurricane Sandy. The House overwhelmingly passed the $50.7 billion bill Tuesday night.
“While the House bill is not quite as good as the Senate bill, it is certainly close enough. We will be urging the Senate to speedily pass the House bill and send it to the President’s desk,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D- N.Y., a member of the Senate leadership whose state suffered massive damage from Sandy in late October.
Recommended: NBC/WSJ poll: NRA more popular than entertainment industry
Congress was never legally barred from providing funds in that bill for other disasters far away from New York, even as far as away Alaska.
In fact, the disaster spending bill which the Senate passed last month to respond to Hurricane Sandy did provide $125 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, some of which would have been used to restore Colorado watersheds damaged by last June’s wildfires.
“No one questions that we need to help the hurricane victims in the Northeast, but wildfire-relief is not ‘pork,”” said Sen. Mark Udall, D- Colo., Wednesday.
In the past, emergency spending bills enacted in the immediate aftermath of one catastrophe have included funds for other disasters.
Related: House OK's $50.7 billion in Sandy emergency funding
Case in point: the emergency spending bill President Barack Obama signed in July of 2010 included $5.5 billion not only for recovery from the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil discharge off the coast of Louisiana, but also for hurricanes Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), Gustav (2008), and Ike (2008) as well as the 2010 floods in Rhode Island, Tennessee, and other states.
But members of Congress from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut want the $50.7 billion which the House passed on Tuesday to be available immediately.
Including funds for disaster relief in places that Sandy didn’t hit is a tough sell: any amendment added by the Senate would necessitate sending the amended bill back to the House for another vote.
“Sen. Begich is talking with Senate leadership and other senators affected by unaddressed disasters about amending the House bill to ensure fishermen in their states get their needs addressed,” said Amy Miller, Begich’s spokeswoman. “Historically, disaster-aid funding bills include multiple disasters, and that’s how Sen. Begich thinks it should be done,” she explained. “He may propose an amendment to make a point about how he thinks disasters should be funded, but if it’s not getting any traction he’s not going to make a big stand that winds up delaying aid to Sandy victims.”
Udall said Wednesday the House's decision this week to not include money for wildfire relief in the Sandy bill was “unbelievable.” He added that communities in his state “are now vulnerable to floods and other long-term effects of the 2012 fires. The long-term costs and damages will make this now-rejected relief funding seem like mere peanuts.”
Udall spokesman Mike Saccone said Wed that “We suspect this (the disaster relief bill) will be sent through by unanimous consent,” which would mean no opportunity for adding amendments.
Just as New Yorkers such as Schumer can make the case that Sandy funding is urgent – in order for homeowners to hire contractors to rebuild homes, for instance – so, too, time is of the essence in the aftermath of Colorado’s wildfires: spring rains means clogged streams and reservoirs and more outlays by local water districts.
Of course, another disaster need not wait until the spring tornado season or the late summer hurricane season. It may be just a few weeks away.
For example, on Jan. 30, 2010 Obama signed a disaster declaration for the state of Oklahoma after a severe winter storm hit the state two days earlier.
But in an era of fiscal strain, with Obama and GOP congressional leaders struggling over spending cuts and an increase in the government’s borrowing limit, a new disaster might not necessarily mean a new disaster relief bill any time soon.
Leave a Comment:
help?
The real disaster is the Do-Nothing Congress, more specifically the House which is given the sole power in initiating spending/revenue bills.
Let's get ready for November 2014 ....to kick these bums out.
I'm with ya on that one Pigsty, so lets keep the gun grabbing going another few months
Pigotry is so correct. The House is dysfunctional, and we need to do some House cleaning. Disaster funding is nothing new, and should be absolutely noncontroversial. A refusal to act on disaster relief bills is inexcusable.
Where are they now? the hypocrits Boehner, Ryan, Cantor and the rest of their crew? I've heard they are somplace on a retreat, at a "plantation," discussing how to involve minorities, blacks, asians, hispanics in the republican party!
Are they serious?
Come on, Liberals...You were up in arms over Bush and Katrina. Now the Sandy stuff is delayed delayed delayed.
You blamed Bush for everything. Be consistent and blame Obama for not responding on Hurricane Sandy.
I swear if Obama slapped your mama, you liberals would blame Beohner.
That's a pathetic statement. The President is more than willing to help Sandy victums, but it's proven that it's YOUR boys in the republican party who do not want to help these poor Americans who suffered through this storm.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/01/17/what_are_republicans_learning_at_their_retreat_anyway.html
^ ^ LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At that strategy!!
On the other hand, I've also heard Boehner, Cantor, and the rest of the crew are planning on electing Ryan as "their" shadow
president.
Yes, I've heard that Republicans believe that they aren't conservative enough as a reason for losing the election.
They hope to garner women and minorities this next time and adhere to their same principles.....good luck with that !
Paws93:
You're a bit confused there, so let me set you straight on this.
Obama has done an exemplary job here, starting when FEMA was on the ground even before the storm arrived. And since his visit to assess the situation, the WH has been in regular contact with the Governor's office (did you forget Christie's praise for Obama?).
What we did NOT get for 70+ days was the disaster relief funds that Congress must allocate and pass.
I agree. There's far too many Democrats in Congress.
paws93 ..it wasnt Bush it was the republican in congress back then that screwed up the Katrina aid .. the same way they are screwing up Sandy relief
Alaska - that republican mecca that claims that they don't need the government - wants free money from the feds?
Gee - I guess austerity only applies to the other guys.
A Congress in need is a congress indeed.
But its behavior is REPUlsive.
Yeah, it's only tax payer money, so who cares right?
If you live on the coast or next to a body of water or a river, you might just get flooded.
I live in Florida, and have flood insurance.
Next where were the plans in the states of NY & NJ to handle this type of disaster?
Were you living in South Florida in 1992 when thousands of homes were destroyed and 250,000 people uprooted from Hurricane Andrew, and had no services. Who brought in water for those citizens and put up emergency shelters so they had something over their heads in the Florida rainy season. Who supplied the ability to get food to those homeless and distribute that food and organize communications and some sort of services. It was the Military and FEMA who helped give citizens ice to keep perishables like milk and formula. I don't think flood insurance covered those problems. Perhaps you should be a bit more compassionate when people need help after a disaster.
actually dss1437 it was not only fema but Many, many, volunteers that were there long before fema!!!!
While your insurance pays for the hurricane, it doesn't pay for the roads and utilities damaged by the storm.
Or rescues, or....(fill in the blank).
Republicans are not winning over Americans with this "make cuts for disaster relief" policy.
Funny how Republicans have no problem with disaster relief for red states. Shows who the real 'takers' are.
No aid to those places that dident get hit,,stop al, pork
There are other disasters in other places not related to Sandy.
So you're saying cover some disasters but not others.....brilliant.
So where are the repubs going to move Wall Street firms, the White House and Congress to after they finish robbing the northeast? Atlanta, Dallas....?
We will just get rid of the White House and Congress. They have outlived their usefulness. Wall Street can move to say Atlanta and maybe learn some good southern conserative values.
PHIL: "Good Southern Conservative values". You mean like lynchings and the raping of countless Black woman??? Or just the general oppression of an entire people for well over 250 years??? No thanks buddy, I've seen more than enough of Conservative values in general, and Southern ones in particular. Given their way, you're crowd with their Creationist notions would drag this entire nation back into the Middle Ages. Since when did convervatives ever advance the cause of humanity, I'd like to know. Funny people you Righties, for 8 years your candidate Dubya pissed away billions like there was no tomorrow and yet Republicans said not a word. 15 minutes after Obama is sworn in, the Tea Crazies miraculously appear on the scene, preaching the evils of profligate spending, regardless of the fact that he was dealing with cleaning up the disasters caused by so called "conservative" policies.
Republicans said a lot about spending under Bush: "deficits don't matter" was their mantra until Obama was elected.
This article did not begin to tell what all is in the bill. It is full of pork also, that is the only way that both the Dem's and Rep's will let it pass. Take time to look it up, not very hard to find out what all is in the bill.
And Miss Piggy, you might want to take a look on Ried's desk at all the bills sitting there that he will not let come to a vote. And before you start calling me names, once again look at what is in them bills. If he was serious, they (house/senate) would meet on them and come to some kind of agreement. Wait!!!! that is called compromise, can't have that.
Those "bills" are big giveaways to big oil and repeal of clean water and air standards.
The Congress could do us all a favor by not ADDING items to legislation that has nothing to do with the original bill. Read some of the things passed by Congress, there are BILLIONS attached to every "need to pass" legislation that should live or die on it's own merit. Not to mention the maneuvers to ATTACH items AFTER the legislation has been voted on by both houses of Congress.
This is both Republicans & Democrats, none of them are innocent in this matter.
Limited funding for future disasters?
That's okay with the republicons. They told us all to go die quickly, anyway. They never took into consideration it is their own mindless minions who take most government aid as their rightful due.
Looks like you got your ignorant Alan Grayson on today.
Thank you allan grayson!!!!
If these other places need money for disaster relief, why don't they create another bill for that? I don't see why it all has to be in one bill, especially if it is holding up what, on the surface, appears be an urgent bill.
Exactly......
Exactly How many times must we reconsider past issues.
If it needed more money why did it not get an up or down vote then.
It takes them 6 months to draft ONE bill. imagine having to wait for congress to roll out of bed and vote on another bill before relief is given every time we have a disaster. it would be an absolute nightmare!
Funny thing about GOP Congress people, when their home district is subjected to a natural disaster they are all gung ho to bring back the goods to their constituates. But it it's anyone else, they are more than happy to watch them twist in the wind. I don't recall Democrats pulling similar stunts to this kind gross insenstivity the needs of a populous which is really hurting.
It was not that many years ago that bills like this were not the least bit controversial, when a disaster happened, help was quickly forthcoming, regardless of the political leanings of the area in question. One has only to look at Hurricane Katrina, where Bush asked for and received many billions in help, within a matter of days. The current GOP caucus is hell bent on one policy alone, that of the scorched earth policy, regardless of how many lifes are adversely effected by it. Many of these GOP congresspeople wrote letters to the White House and Democratic party leaders pleading for help in their own district and yet now that the tables are turned, they could not care less about the suffering that so many of their fellow Americans are enduring right this moment.
That was back when liberals were not spending our tax dollars irresponsibility.
When had a Democrat EVER missed an opportunity to Request More money than needed for ANY disaster, this is when they Shine.
"Pour on the FUNDS, This is when we buy votes, NOT when we do the Boring accounting of how are we going to pay for this largess. When do we get Adults back in control instead of emotional children who spend all their time pointing fingers and name calling.
Neither of you two dimwits even bother to address the main thrust of my post, that being why did GOP congress people aprove of "wasteful spending" as long as it was for their own districts??? You know, kind of like boy wonder Paul Ryan cursing the evils of "Big Goverment" with a megaphone and then behind the scense, contacting that very same evil government for many millions to support his pet projects back home in his district. There is a word for behavior like this. It's called world class HYPOCRISY. Check it out sometime.
But on the bright side, at least no one "important" lives there . . . nobody around but those "bitter clingers."
You think he didn't know all the gun jerk offs were going to cause a run on gun shops and buy up every round of cop killer bullets they can get their hands on??? That was obvious from the beginning. The NRA deals in fear and hatred and the sheep that follow them are gullible beyond words.
FYI buddy, even the Great One, Ronald Reagan supported various forms of gun control, including a ban on assault style weapons. Took him a while to get around to this point of view, but even the patron saint of the GOP knew that things were out of hand. Beyond that, George Bush Sr. ended his lifetime membership back in the Nineties because he thought they had gotten too paranoid, too extreme and that their grip on reality was slipping away. Add to that people like General Colin Powell (once the golden boy of the GOP until he started acting too sane) and General Stanley McCrystal, former general in charge of all our forces in Afghanistan, have both stated pubicly in recent days that these kinds of weapons are killing machines pure and simple and have no place among the general populace. But hey, what the hell would then know about firearms.
Semi-automatic rifles, whatever they happen to look like, are still semi-automatic rifles. Do you really believe that because a semi-automatic rifle has a pistol grip that they are somehow much more dangerous than other rifles?? There are so few deaths every year involving rifles of any kind that they are hardly worth worrying about.
In the case of Colorado relief from wildfires, failure to re-seed burn areas and re-contouring to handle rainstorms, would result in considerably more damage when muddy rivers flood downstream areas (e.g., Denver). As the saying goes: It's cheap insurance.
What the? re-seed.... How do you re-seed a forest?? Maybe this is a job for "Johnny Appleseed"
When Yellowstone went up in flames, no re-seeding, yet the forest came back green than ever.
A forest needs to burn down about every 200-300 years..
Re-seeding is done by spraying on a mixture of seeds, fertilizer, and a bonding slurry. There are huge trucks with this slurry that they spray over hillsides. For areas they can't reach, a carpet of seeds and fertilizers with a carpet mesh is used. Seeds native to the area are used, and are drought-resistent. Contouring is done to trap or re-direct muddy run-off. You can see places they have done this along highways this all throughout Colorado. Besides reducing erosion, it mitigates rock-fall.
Hey Dav....why is the FEDERAL government responsible to pay for re-seeding? What's the matter with the STATE paying for it?
It's an investment in Earth, Cheryl. Why the hell should anyone care if the Federal government seeds it? I'd rather the tax dollars do that than throw them down the black hole in Africa, Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mexico or a dozen other stupid ass lost causes.
In fact, the Feds can seed ALL the burned out acres of this country and it wouldn't be any more than the country is due. Nothing that is grown or built in any state stops at the boundary line. That's why the word "United" is in our name.
more money for america less for countries that spit on us ..reseed dont waste our resources on more guns for Israel or Pakistan
Schumer doesn't like the House plan because it's not full of the out and out PORK that the Senate Democrats think the taxpayer should be paying for.
It would be interesting if Senate Democrats would get off their @sses and actually do something that wasn't something to simply buy votes and give payouts to friends, supporters, family, and unions.
You know, like maybe pass a BUDGET for our government.
@CherylLM, it would be very interesting if the pukebags would not put a hold on every budget bill the house sends them.
And why worry about a budget? Deficits don't matter, VP Cheney, your pukepag idol, even said so.
The Senate actually passing a budget??? Now that would be a unique accomplishment.
Harry Reid and O-Blame-Ya dont want a budget passed by design......even though the LAW says they have too every year.......they dont want a budget that way they can keep spending and spending without having to answer to the american people or anyone else while we go deeper and deeper into debt and colapse.........
@Violator, maybe that is better than cutting taxes and NOT PAYING for two wars? Or is that worse? Let us know with your so called wisdom.
you notice the article purposfully left out the pork for Guam and alot of other projects that had nothing to do with Sandy....also the House passed it....why isint anyone pissing and moaning about whay Harry Reid is dragging arse and waiting so long......can you libs get off your high horses and see that the dems are just as bad as the repubs and that all this is just a big flim flam job to pit one side against the other while behind our backs they take more and more of our rights away..........grow up america.....
Those whose lives have been devastated by Sandy will get a chance to rebuild their lives. More infrastructure will be created and this will create more jobs which is good for the economy. There will be more spending and savings due to this spending. There will be all around growth. GOD Bless the Americans. GOD BLESS THE USA.
Kevin Valentine Moraes
Mira Road (Thane)
What's the hurry with rebuilding the damage that Sandy did? They haven't finished rebuilding the damage that Katrina did. Something to think about, isn't it.
No pork? An expansion of Amtrak facilities? A new roof for Nasa, which had minimal damaga? Get real.
Typical demoncratic thinking: Don't let any disaster go to waste. Load it up with all kinds of pork.
What was that philosophy? To a Republican, every day is the 4th of July: to ever democrat, every day is the 15th of April.
Sen. Charles Schumer can't wait for his FEMA kick back money to start rolling in...maybe the feds can save some room for him at the same lock up for Ray Nagin...then they can talk politics...
The US cannot afford to completely rebuild everything destroyed in a disaster. When people and businesses locate themselves near the ocean or near a forest, they have accepted their own risk. In the case of New Orleans, these people built BELOW SEA LEVEL. That is not an intelligent thing to do unless you are totally prepared to be wiped out at least once every 75 years. A couple thousand years of weather data clearly shows that there will be severe droughts in the plains and hurricanes along the coasts. It is not a possibility it is a certainty over a 100 year or less span. The environmentalists destroyed US forest land by not letting it burn as nature intended. Now we face even more catastrophic fires as the amount of dead wood is over the top! Some people, especially journalists, like to use the term 100 year X (flood, storm, drought, ...) They think that means one every hundred years. Well, in fact, you can get 0-3 in a hundred years. Maybe even more, although less likely. The 100 year term is simply the 66% standard deviation number. 34% of the time the events will be more or less. The US only has proxy data before if was colonized by Europeans. The natives did not have any written records of use. So anytime someone says the "greatest" event in the US, they are typically talking about the last 40-200 years. Yes, 40! Some journalists like to site satellite based data as if it is all telling. Like George Washington had satellite data!
All the poor little rich people that lost everything in their million dollar beach homes....They shouldn't be allowed the money if building back within a mile of the beach....
reality if that unless your state is not in agreement with the current administration, you can just flat forget about disaster funds....it has been proven over and over the last 4 years that this is how it works.
Give em hell Christie, those FN republicans need their sorry A$$E$ chewed on again. If it was abill for a raise in pay for the repugs in politics in Washington D.C. then that sucker would be passed in seconds. Why do we have such inept SOB's in politics???????????????????????????