Republicans, who control the House and have driven hard bargains on spending cuts all year, have insisted that there will be enough money for disaster relief. But they also pledged that additional spending will mean cuts in other areas.
“Yes, we’re going to find the money,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Monday in a television interview. “We’re just going to need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so.”I know where to find the money, Eric. How about your salary?
Hint: You're bad at your job.
The thing is, it turns out that they are making cuts to support FEMA relief programs post-Irene. Where are the cuts? Well, one, from energy-saving green cars (that's not a surprise, might as well score a hit for big oil), but shockingly House Republicans are insisting on cuts to... FEMA budgets?
But in doing so, Republicans shifted money from a program that lends money to auto manufacturers to build more energy-efficient cars and cut dollars from other FEMA programs. Both ideas are unacceptable to Senate Democrats.
“Does it really make sense to pay response and reconstruction costs for past disasters by reducing our capacity to prepare for or respond to future disasters?” Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) asked in a July letter critical of the cuts the House made to replenish the disaster fund. Landrieu chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds FEMA.This is outrageous. These profiteering charlatans are so concerned with protecting the big business interests that fund their campaigns that they are willing to decimate future disaster relief to avoid levying fair and appropriate taxes on the wealthiest 10% of America. They have utterly lost touch with the purpose of representative government. No wonder they're scared shitless at the idea of talking to their constituents.
Crossposted to FireDogLake.
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