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The Wall Street Journal’s Dan Henninger on the blame-game over the slow response in getting aid to victims of Superstorm Sandy.
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Holding alright Chris -- Very fast to blame Republicans in the house but not passing that sixty point four billion dollar sandy relief bill that was filled with poll.
-- -- that was the senate bill.
He focused on hurricane sanity relief again yesterday in his state of the state message in New Jersey was -- Both Republicans.
And Democrats.
Will never stand silent when our citizens are being short changed.
All right got a standing ovation for that joining us now is Dan -- go with the wolf creek job by their parents are trying to wrestle this thing -- here.
Is sixty point four billion dollars that was the senate bill right.
And they wanted to rush this through and in of votes they didn't get a -- vote.
They didn't like sixty point four billion dollars in the wasn't any time -- the fiscal -- what's your problem with a sixty point four billion dollar bill.
I didn't have any problem necessarily with the sixty point four billion dollar built the problem was the fact that we all know last week this became a huge public issue.
Because the house failed to vote on a New Year's -- when they were struggling to pass the fiscal -- tax bill.
That caused the new York New Jersey delegations to go ballistic led by governor Chris Christie who said.
That it was on John Boehner that people in New Jersey were continuing to suffer because of sandy.
Peter -- Long Island congressman said that Republicans should withhold donations of the Republican Party because -- -- vote now wait a minute.
That the idea is that people.
Right here and now we're suffering because of -- than their B is what the Federal Emergency Management Agency who's director on December report told congress that they had enough money to get through spraying helping people if they have immediate needs right now Chris Christie's beef is -- this friend Barack Obama and FEMA.
Not with John Boehner in the house Republicans that sixty billion yen for the whole -- thirteen and long term construction project so they -- They implied that there's no money.
To help the victims there is -- there is money it is right that -- available now right and it will last from about February or march and the head of -- Appropriations Committee congressman.
Harold Rogers of Kentucky had put 23 billion into the bill to help being like get past spring when their money ran out.
So in and Rodney freely highs and who's the congressman from New Jersey and we've been into acting with regional officials up here but another 33 billion dollars into the bill.
About sixty billion was put in the house bill.
By Republicans to help the people of the northeast and they're getting denounced on New Year's Day because they didn't pass that on January 1 list second bout how beef with the sixty point four billion dollar bill wasn't it was loaded with -- A 150 million for Alaska fisheries for heaven's -- Well -- is that not a valid objection absolutely valid objection but the fact is that that pork was put in by the senate.
And when it got over to the house -- just kind of gun -- -- -- right now the House Appropriations Committee.
Took the pork out of the bill so if your -- -- in the house the pork is no longer an issue so does that mean that Chris Christie is -- both barrels the wrong targets.
Quality should be.
If it's held up -- -- should be firing -- the senators who insist on putting this stuff then but I think the idea that if they voted January 1 or January 15 -- sixty billion dollars to New Jersey in New York.
Is irrelevant and I think he was just.
Shooting at the wrong target.
-- he chose not to hold the senate accountable for a bill that was stuffed with pork and instead to put that pressure on the house I think it's really interesting for a guy.
Who many talk about having star power and when he sixteen -- a presidential candidate to make that kind of -- I think people saw him as.
Someone who didn't care about a bill that would stop but or -- should be someone standing up to that kind of nonsense.
If he has those kinds of intentions politically in the future well.
He has been built a reputation in New Jersey as a fiscal conservative and somebody who was kind of tight with this State's money you're talking about an event that happened in late October.
The congress that has to interact with all sorts of agents not just -- the Small Business Administration the corps of engineers hard.
To figure out how to allocate that sixty billion dollars within about a month and a half period.
So if the idea now is that we should just take sixty billion dollars which I must say -- an almost incomprehensible amount of money -- Put -- that's a huge amounts of moment.
Wasn't hurricane Andrew the bill for about seven billion -- -- pretty serious and now sixty billion for sending.
Dispute that distraught department's annual budget is 43 billion dollar annual budget to the state of New Jersey it's thirty billion now.
What's gonna.
Well it's very it's not only difficult but like there's some responsibility.
And making sure that if you're going to spend sixty billion -- not just dropping in out of planes are bringing it up to New Jersey and trucks but there's some.
Effort made to figure out exactly how -- be best spent if I am the victim.
All of a natural disaster I lose my house and all the possessions that it.
Is it right to ask the taxpayers of United States to just building a new house and make sure I'm just made whole.
Well I think there are aspects of these disasters in which there's enormous personal human tragedy and most Americans feel as the kind of moral obligation to help people who've been.
Devastated like.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Chris Christie is positioning himself is this hybrid.
Part Republican part Democrat it you know kind of candidate who can appeal to all Americans.
-- -- one -- time is right he's gonna win Iowa.
Folks on the right are not happy with the person I have leaning in his positions on gun control this he just he looks like a guy who doesn't care about fiscal what about -- that's what people on the right care about right now debt deficit redundant.
Get -- that could could the Republicans have at least brought this up that I mean you know what I mean that they make someone a book he arts would want to and -- this.
I you know the considerable they're going through what the fiscal clip.
Everybody's attention was on that that's the only thing speaker Boehner was working out at the moment I think they got to the point on New Year's Day in the evening they were just simply exhausted.
And they couldn't get to it on the.
To do so Watson is so America's gonna salespeople battle -- out he -- electricity for three months in just a little bit more exhausted.
They could stay two more hours being less.
Has six and a half billion dollars and its accounts right now to help those people if there's a problem and getting FEMA money to people now.
But because with president Obama's administration great story Dan and the Gaza -- thank you very much indeed doctor I'd gone.
