The House GOP is under fire for scrapping the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, but a growing number of conservatives are grateful that the bill didn’t pass. Though it is ostensibly dedicated to post-Sandy relief, the bill is actually loaded with pork — lots of it.
Ace of Spades HQ blogger Gabriel Malor dissected the bill:
Because, inter alia, Sandy relief shouldn't include fisheries in Alaska. RT @vgmac: So WHY did House leadership pull the Sandy relief bill?
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $5.3B to the Army Corps of Engineers (that's more than their annual budget).
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $56.8 million for charting the debris from last year's Japanese tsunami.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $41 million for eight military bases including Guantanamo Bay.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $100 million for the federal Head Start day care program.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $188 million for new Amtrak lines (not repair, whole new lines).
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $20 million for a nationwide "Water Resources Priorities Study".
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Sandy relief shouldn't include $4 million for the Kennedy Space Center.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
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FEMA still has $5 billion in disaster relief funds that are expected to last until March. So we do have time to get Sandy relief right.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
People who are yelling, "rush rush, we must do this without thinking about it," are looking for a hand-out.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Oh, btw, that Corps of Engineers Sandy funding? Obama Admin has it earmarked for addressing "impacts associated with a changing climate.”
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
If Rep. King wants to pass a clean bill, limited to actual Sandy relief programs, that would get my support.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
But this pathetic attempt to buy votes with fisheries spending in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska should rightfully be DOA.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 2, 2013
Many conservatives agree:
Rep Issa re Sandy bill – Senate didn't do its job. They sent us a bill full of pork and left town.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 2, 2013
Let's cut to the chase and permanently rename all federal pork "Sandy relief." Oppose mosquito sex studies = you hate Sandy victims.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 2, 2013
So THAT'S the definition of a "super storm": it hits New York so hard that fisheries in Alaska need federal money.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 2, 2013
Call me crazy, but any Sandy relief bill should have the funds 100% dedicated to, you know, Sandy relief. (cc: @gabrielmalor)
— Mike (@ThePantau) January 2, 2013
Moreover, any proponents of the Sandy relief bill that don't factor out the pork $$ are LYING about the amount of "Sandy aid."
— Mike (@ThePantau) January 2, 2013
You guys realize all the pork in this Sandy bill, right? Dont blame them for passing it over.
— Mary #FlyTheW (@mchastain81) January 2, 2013
If there is a bill passed for Sandy relief, it should only be for Sandy relief, NO PORK
— Micky Baker (@MickyBaker1) January 2, 2013
Dear @RepPeteKing: I usually agree w you BUT—> RT @gabrielmalor: #Sandy relief shouldn't include $4 million for the Kennedy Space Center.
— Sissy Willis (@SissyWillis) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/CourtMattison/status/286499295622995968
Trim the non-Sandy pork & pass the storm relief bill. WHY IS THIS SO EFFING DIFFICULT? #jaisus
— CatsPolitics (@CatsPolitics) January 2, 2013
Congress loads this "Aid" bills with tons of pork and pay off spending, then Cries foul when No one wants to fund it?
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) January 2, 2013
You say you want cuts but are so eager to push through this Sandy Relief Bill thats filled with UNNECESSARY SPENDING.
— Mary #FlyTheW (@mchastain81) January 2, 2013
I support relief for Sandy related costs. I do not support using Sandy as a way to sneak funds to Alaska, etc.
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 2, 2013
If some wanted the Sandy bill to pass they should have made it about aid, not exploited it to sneak in millions in pork.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 2, 2013
While bill may have been scrapped because of a GOP hissy fit as opposed to commitment to reducing spending:
@RBPundit Exactly. This wasn't some noble exercise in budget restraint by Boehner, it was a hissy fit over Cantor bailing on him.
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) January 2, 2013
Yep. MT @DrewMTips: I'd like to think pulling Sandy bill was exercise in fiscal restraint but seems more like Boehner hissy fit w/Cantor.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) January 2, 2013
One thing is for sure: the Sandy relief bill as is would only be a headache for American taxpayers.
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