(Image Source: The Washington Times)
BY MIKKEL LANZKY AND MALLORY PERRYMAN
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency is caught up in political penny pinching. After dealing with 65 disasters, the agency is running low on cash. Usually- it’s pretty simple for FEMA to ask Congress to refill the coffers--
But on Monday-- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) appeared on Fox News and signaled that money for disaster relief would have to be offset by spending cuts elsewhere.
“In instances like this yes, there is a federal role; yes, we’re going to find the money. We’re just going to need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so.”
But Cantor’s llnking of disaster relief and a balanced budget has sparked outrage--
An editorial contributor to the Kansas City Star writes...
“Holding disaster relief hostage to ideology is callous and foolish. Communities reeling from natural disasters can’t contribute to a healthy economy."
And another from the Sun Sentinel...
“We understand the need for fiscal management. But there are duties where there should be absolute bipartisan agreement on the role of government, and this is one of them.”
Between 2005 and 2007 Congress appropriated more than $90 billion to supplement disaster relief for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. And as CNN’s Anderson Cooper points out-- back then-- the GOP, including Cantor-- was singing a different tune.
Anderson Cooper (CNN): “After Hurricane Katrina hit a GOP colleague proposed an amendment that would have tied relief money to spending cuts. In other words, doing exactly what Congressman Cantor now wants to do. But guess what? Back then the Congressman had a different view and voted no on putting any strings on disaster relief. So what’s changed between then and now?”
So how is FEMA handling the politics? David Corn from Mother Jones tells MSNBC-- agency director Craig Foogate is winning in the court of public opinion.
David Corn (Mother Jones): “I think Craig Foogate has given FEMA a whole new life and is widely seen as doing a good job so he’s sticking to the issue and he’s staying above the political fray. If Eric Cantor insists on making this a political issue, it will hurt him and the Republicans.”
But former RNC chair Michael Steele counters that-- saying he believes Cantor won’t politicize this anymore than he already has-- but that the Congressman does have a point.
“It doesn’t mean that the government, just like we saw in the debt debate, won’t meet its obligation to the people of New Jersey and Vermont and elsewhere. It just means that we’re just not going to write a blank check without an eye to where the cash comes from; whether the money is actually available real time to spend and make sure that they are. And I think that is reasonable, prudent budget concern.”
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