Senate Rejects House Stopgap Bill Over Disaster Aid Dispute

FOXNEWS ^ | September 23, 2011 | Associated Press

[Son House]

The basic dispute pitted GOP objections that the bill's emergency spending was too costly against Democratic complaints that cutting the energy loan programs would stifle the economy and cost jobs.

"The government's not shutting down. I spoke to Mr. Fugate myself," Reid said, referring to FEMA director Craig Fugate. "FEMA is not running out of money..."

"The Senate Democratic leadership is essentially threatening to delay FEMA money that families need right now for a partisan gain," said the spokesman, Michael Steel.

It was unclear how the standoff would be resolved. The House and Senate had both planned to take next week off, but neither seemed likely to risk accusations of ignoring the thousands of Americans victimized by natural calamities or of allowing the government to shut its doors.

"We're establishing priorities," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif. "We have a priority, that being dealing with our fellow Americans."

House passage represented a reversal from an embarrassing setback the chamber dealt its Republican leaders on Wednesday. On that day, the House rejected a nearly identical measure, shot down by Democrats complaining its disaster aid was too stingy and conservative Republicans upset that its overall spending was too extravagant.

The bill the House approved Friday morning contained just one change -- an additional $100 million in savings from cutting a second Energy Department loan program, this one aimed at sparking new energy technologies.

That is the same program that financed a $528 million federal loan to Solyndra Inc., the California solar panel maker that won praise from President Barack Obama but has since gone bankrupt and laid off its 1,100 workers. The Obama administration had praised Solyndra as a model for green energy companies, but now Congress is investigating the circumstances under which the government approved the loan.

[Son House]

Why was an 'additional $100 million' from an Energy Department loan program aimed at sparking new energy technologies(Solyndra) in the bill in the first place? Boener, House Republicans, cut out irrelevant spending and put each in a separate bill to be debated and passed on their own merits.

[trebb]

"The Senate Democratic leadership is essentially threatening to delay FEMA money that families need right now for a partisan gain," said the spokesman, Michael Steel.

Yep - no matter how they try to explain it, that's exactly what they are doing. All the while moaning that the evil Repubs are being "stingy" with tax payer dollars (exactly as it should be).

Funding for a period of time is offered and they want to pad it so they can find ways to divert it for Democrats...