Eric Cantor: Hurricane Irene Disaster Relief Funding Has 'No Strings Attached'

RICHMOND, Va. (AP/The Huffington Post) -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he never suggested that disaster funds for victims of Hurricane Irene should be held up by budget concerns.

The Virginia Republican told reporters after meeting constituents on Wednesday in Richmond that the House has already found sufficient savings to provide billions in dollars in disaster relief for victims of Irene, the hurricane that pummeled the East Coast this past weekend.

Cantor says it is the Democratic-led Senate that is holding up legislation that would authorize funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He adds: "There are no strings attached. We found the money."

House GOP appropriators have honed in on a source for their offsets: the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The House-passed Homeland Security appropriations bill draws $1.5 billion from that fund to provide the offsets for more disaster relief funds.

Cantor and other House Republicans continue to call on the Senate to simply pass that bill and send it to Obama to sign into law so needed relief funds will be readily available. The reality, however, is that the bill contains scores of other provisions that Senate Democrats and Obama are unlikely to just swallow.

Beyond the appropriations process, if states end up needing an infusion of disaster relief aid to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, it will take a presidential request for emergency funding.

Comments

[Chris Paleczka]

01:29 PM on 09/07/2011

Surprise surprise, it turns out that Eric Cantor (R-Virginia)’s idea to demand offsetting budget cuts for any disaster assistance spending related to Hurricane Irene is not so popular with Republican members of congress whose districts have been hit by floods.
“You can’t put a number on keeping citizens safe,” said [Rep Michael] Grimm [R-NY], who describes himself as a fiscal conservative. “It’s something the federal government must do. For example, if we’re attacked, we wouldn’t hold a budgetary meeting.”
Nan Hayworth, a Republican freshman representing areas north of New York City who won her seat with strong Tea Party support, also sees no connection between disaster aid and spending cuts, according to her spokesman, Nathaniel Sillin.
This stuff really pisses me off. And it’s not hypocrisy. It’s the failure of moral imagination. What it reminds me of, more than anything else, was Sarah Palin talking about her desire to protect programs for special needs children from budget cuts. Afterall, Palin has a special needs child herself. So she sympathizes with children who need extra help and the families that support them. She sees their needs and wants to fight for them. Meanwhile, Reps Grimm and Hayworth see the needs of families burdened by Hurricane Irene. They sympathize and want to fight for them.
http://thinkprogress.org/yglesias/2011/09/07/313095/budget-cutters-from-flood-ravaged-congressional-districts-not-interested-in-cutting-relief-spending/

[pandag]

02:40 PM on 09/06/2011

Hey Eric, you lying sack of ship. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[wisdom67]

10:25 PM on 09/03/2011

In this day of electronic media does he really believe he can say outlandish things and no one records them. Does he also really believe that the Tea Party cut everything wing of the Republican party is going to rule forever. Has he ever thought that maybe the Tea Party coalition may be voted out in 2012, then what for him and his cut everything budget. A smart politician hedges his bets obviously he is not a wise politician because he has tied his horse to one wagon.

[Robert Blair3174]

07:17 AM on 09/03/2011

The monies that Mr. Cantor is (apparently) referring to are in the current appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. (HR2017) Yes, it's currently in the Senate, and has been since June, but "No strings on further disaster aid?" Right!
Here's a link to the entire text of the bill:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr2017eh/pdf/BILLS-112hr2017eh.pdf

I won't quote verbatim, but it looks to me like it says (at the top of page 56) that the President is required to submit an "Offset budget amendment from within discretionary funds" for "Catastrophic Disasters" outside of FEMA's guesstimated budget pre-approval amount.
Sounds like strings to me Mr. Cantor. Shame on you

[Blueid1]

01:28 AM on 09/03/2011

Cantor said no strings attached? No no strings just 4" thick steel cable.
Need to attach a bill that prohibits lying to the public...no more integrity on the hill? duh

[BuickBoy57]

07:03 PM on 09/02/2011

Talk about skewed priorities. Cantor speaks of the need for families to rethink purchases after a disaster by, "...putting off buying a new car or building an addition onto the house..." This, when many Americans are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
Must be nice living in CantorWorld. Tea Party, indeed.

[Marlyn]

06:13 PM on 09/02/2011

"Eric Cantor says he never suggested that disaster funds for victims of Hurricane Irene should be held up by budget concerns." ???

No, he suggested that disaster funds for victims of Hurricane Irene should be paid for by cutting other social programs.

[PEM1019]

03:39 PM on 09/02/2011

OK now I get it! Now I see why ole Cantor backpeddled his disaster comments. HE GOT A SPANKING ON FOX! In between bashing Liberals, they bashed the heck out of Cantor. I'm sure Cantor was not expecting that turn of events! LOL!!! Click on the utube video of the show.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201108270001?lid=1178676&rid=63268581

[PEM1019]

03:23 PM on 09/02/2011

Hi All...earlier I cited a blog article from one of my favorite authors, The Progressive Professor. I forgot to add his webcite link....sorry! The PP posseses indepth knowledge and understanding of current events/politics. His research is impeccable and every one of his blogs are well written and thoughtful.
http://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/

[signgrrl]

03:20 PM on 09/02/2011

just to let you all know, that system in the Gulf is now a tropical storm, heading towards Louisiana. heads up !

[Drumbeato]

02:13 PM on 09/02/2011

Cantor's original comment was that the "Federal government has a place in disaster relief, but we must pay for it with cuts elsewhere". What is it with these Republicans? George W Bush invaded Iraq at the cost of trillions of dollars, never once said how we would pay for it, & no one told him we must make cuts elsewhere to find the money. When it comes to the safety & well being of the American people right here at home, suddenly Republicans find fiscal responsibility? All of you folks in the coastal South who were effected by Irene, I hope you are paying attention to who has your back, & who is more concerned with spending cuts first & disaster relief later.

[wisdom67]

10:14 PM on 09/03/2011

Must remember that Bush fired the General who said the war was going to cost more than the estimated amount.

[Stoptheworld]

09:20 AM on 09/02/2011

About time to change your party affiliation. Show them who's boss. Maybe if the people of the east coast, Joplin, Ky, La, Tx, and other areas hit with disasters all switched, maybe they could vote in some one with common sense.

[WOODSTOCKER51]

07:34 AM on 09/02/2011

.I THINK I FOUND THE PERFECT TRADEOFF FOR THE BUNDMASTER ERIC CANTOR TO GET VIRGINIANS FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEFFUNDING.......HE AGREES TO STORE ALL THE NUCLEAR WASTE PRODUCED AT ALL EAST COAST NUKE POWER SITES...IN HIS FRONT YARD...FOREVER.....

.................."NOW THATS A GLOWING IDEA!"

[Keyop]

05:46 AM on 09/02/2011

His face would make the perfect punching bag or archery target. It's multipurpose.

[WOODSTOCKER51]

07:36 AM on 09/02/2011

....YOU CAN ALSO USE HIS TONGUE AS A DIVING BOARD.......AND HIS TOOTH AS A CAN OPENER.................

CANTOR DOES HAVE SOME USES..................NONE OF WHICH ARE COLLECTING PAYCHECKS FROM U.S. TAX PAYERS.............

[bigmadd]

08:43 AM on 09/02/2011

I understand your anger with Cantor, But I would wish him no harm but if he would just slither back under the rock he came from I would be happy.

[terrjudy]

02:15 AM on 09/02/2011

Liar, liar pants on fire!