Rep Peter King:'Knife in the back': Fury over House dropping Sandy aid vote

[backtoblue]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/politics/house-sandy-aid-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

(CNN) -- The outrage over inaction that began on Tuesday night in Washington quickly spread across the country, ultimately drawing the ire of governors and an impassioned plea from the president.

But Republican leadership in the House showed no sign of changing its mind. A $60 billion aid package to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy would not materialize on Wednesday.

"It seems an even sadder commentary on the state of our Congress than we've observed to date," said Paul Lurrie, who lives in Belle Harbor, New York, and had no heat or electricity for three weeks after the storm struck.

He accused House Speaker John Boehner of "petulance" for not bringing the package to a vote as expected.

Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, slammed his own party.

"The Republican Party has said it's the party of 'family values.' Last night, it turned its back on the most essential value of all, and that's to provide food, shelter, clothing and relief for people who have been hit by a natural disaster," King said in an interview with CNN.

"Anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee should have their head examined," King said. It's very rare for a lawmaker to call on anyone not to support his own party.

The Senate had already passed a bill that would have provided billions of dollars in aid to victims.

President Barack Obama urged the House GOP leadership to hold a vote Wednesday -- the final full day of the current Congress. At noon Thursday, a new Congress will be sworn in, and will have to start from scratch in passing any legislation.


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[matt819]

1. He's right, of course, but what does he expect?

These are his people, and this is the culture he has created. And he know, and we know, full well that if this was being request for tornado victims, he'd be the one denying funding.