The Latest: GOP eyeing $1B disaster funds cut to help wall

[brooklynite]

Source: AP News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and Congress (all times local):

12:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump is promising billions to help Texas rebuild from Hurricane Harvey, but his Republican allies in the House are looking at cutting almost $1 billion from disaster accounts to help finance the president’s border wall.

The pending reduction to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief account is part of a spending bill that the House is scheduled to consider next week when Congress returns from its August recess. The $876 million cut, part of the 1,305-page measure’s homeland security section, pays for roughly half the cost of Trump’s down payment on a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

It seems sure that GOP leaders will move to reverse the disaster aid cut next week. The optics are politically bad and there’s only $2.3 billion remaining in disaster coffers.

Read more: https://www.apnews.com/83e6782d48e04993a741b834771c078b?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Politics

[Atman]

1. He's a multi-billionaire. Just pony up some cash, Trump!

Oh, wait...maybe you're not really worth shit. Who knows, we've never seen your tax returns.

[calimary]

17. Indeed. It does make you wonder what he's trying SO damn hard to hide.

It's either that a lot of Russian money and influence is documented in there, OR that it's well-documented that he isn't anywhere near as wealthy as he's said he is.

Considering his long-established, well-documented, and by now thoroughly fact-checked reputation for lying - about EVERYTHING and ANYTHING that comes up, and his colossal ego, I'd expect it's probably more of the latter than the former. But in reality, it's probably both. With more than a little bit of RICO problems thrown in for good measure.

If there were nothing in there, why would he be working so hard to keep it hidden?

If there's nothing incriminating in there, why would he so ardently want to keep it hidden?

If he's truly done nothing wrong (not by HIS definition of what "wrong" is, but the law's), then why has he been trying so relentlessly to keep it hidden?

[japple]

22. I think you are absolutely correct. In fact, I have always thought that anyone who tells you how

wealthy they are is really hiding something. I don't think he has a pot to piss in except for the ones the Russians gave him. I would rather see him sentenced to live the life of a minimum wage earner than to go to prison at our expense.

[demigoddess]

23. no,no,no he would find a way to take money from his neighbors somehow

and he would find a way to make it look like he is a millionaire, just not allowed to access him money etc. he would not be able to do that in prison.

[Eugene]

2. Only Republicans can propose cutting disaster funds *WHILE* a major disaster is in progress.

I am in awe of the sheer WTF-ness of this. I used to think this kind of stupidity was beyond human reach.

[FiveGoodMen]

20. "I used to think this kind of stupidity was beyond human reach."

If the public were worth a damn, the outcry over this would spell the end of every republican career in DC.

Nothing is beyond reach if the sheep are willing to go along with it.

And as long as they can just say "fake news" and pretend it isn't happening we're in deep shit.

We needed to get over the principled-sounding "marketplace of ideas" and vigorously oppose Fox, hate-radio, and the mega-churches for the last 20 years.

Propaganda works.

As long as we let it.

[3catwoman3]

27. WTF-ness is a good neologism.

I forsee lots of opportunity to use it. Thnx!

[OldHippieChick]

3. Let's see, flood mostly in Texas and

proposed Wall mostly in Texas - voters all in Texas -- yeah cutting disaster funds oughta work out just fine for re-election.

[atreides1]

9. You give voters in Texas too much credit!

Republican voters, that is! They will still vote for the Repuke, they'll just blame everything on the black guy...it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!!

[OldHippieChick]

11. Perhaps I do and perhaps I'm hoping that

Texas journalists will make sure voters know what is going on. We shall see. The asses may win primaries, but hopefully they'll have opposition in the general if they actually steal money for the wall from flood victims. Dems need to scream bloody murder if this happens.

[tblue37]

29. The Repubs will reverse the proposed cuts now *because of optics*, so Dems need to publicize that

the Repubs really intended to do this, and still would if they thought they could get away with it--and that eventually they probably will, when no one is watching.

[question everything]

15. They want him to "drain the swamp," to "shake Washington"

which means, I suppose, cutting these funds.

After all, one of them was ending by the end of September, I think.

[defacto7]

4. $2.3 billion in the fund..

$160 billion needed.

[IronLionZion]

5. Turn Texas Blue Again

and Louisiana.

Publicize that they wanted cuts before being shamed into reversing it because this time the flooding affected republican neighborhoods in suburban Houston.

[Corgigal]

25. Beat me to it

How fast do you guys want to become unemployed? These people deserve help, not a wall for a political foreign asset who hasn't read the current politico article.

[Iliyah]

6. Don't forget tax cuts for the 1-2%ers

[aquamarina]

7. Fuck that mother fucking wall

Every available dollar and then some needs to be redirected to those poor people who are suffering through Harvey. Just fuck that stupid wall already.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. What aquamarina said.

[SummerSnow]

10. Oh my, its the 'Wall before All' fund!!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

12. And Huricane Season has not hit peak yet....

The National Hurricane Center is keeping its eye on several potential storms in the Atlantic and Gulf that could form into Hurricanes and possibly effect the United States. Any cuts in FEMA money will surely reflect badly on Congressional House Republicans.

RAISE TAXES, not cut them.

[riversedge]

13. McConnell has promised ZERO $$ for Wall. dah!! I hope he keeps his word!

[maxrandb]

19. "Keeps His Word"???

[LisaM]

14. Good. Go ahead and do this, and lose Texas for the GOP for the next century.

At least - that's what SHOULD happen. Everyone I've ever met from Texas has actually been a pretty nice, decent person, and I imagine they'd all choose disaster relief and infrastructure upgrades against future disasters than a border wall that mostly impacts their state.

[matt819]

16. Brilliant

Let them. Or let them try. It's just over a year until the mid-terms. What a platform to run on - sure, we cut disaster aid for Texas, but vote for us anyway.

[keithbvadu2]

18. How to Build Trumps Wall - Privatize It

How to Build Trump’s Wall - Privatize It

Republicans have often found a way to tax people surreptitiously by privatizing many public works projects to corporations rather than have gov’t pay for it. A fee is a tax under another name.

The corporations/investors are granted a multi-year license with a guaranteed profit.

This could also be done with Trump’s Wall with Mexico.

Corporations/investors front the money to build it and they will be paid by Mexico.

It gives republicans a chance to save the gov’t money by investing in it and show their confidence in Trump’s word that Mexico will pay for it .

No gov’t backed bonds.

No cost to the gov’t,,, no need for taxes,,, profit for the patriotic investors who believe in Trump.

Win win all around.

Even Trump can show his patriotism and shrewd business savvy by investing in it.

[bronxiteforever]

21. Kick for visibility of this evil

They are empty soulless evil men

[YOHABLO]

24. The anger that builds inside me is without words. These Republicans are SCREWBALLS.

[dchill]

26. Obstreperous:

1. resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly. 2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children.

THIS is Republican.

[GReedDiamond]

28. The fucking republicans are criminally insane...nt

[Tanuki]

30. I wish the article had named names. The bill didn't write itself.