House accepts $33.7B Sandy bill amendment

The Hill ^ | 01/15/13 07:11 PM ET | Pete Kasperowicz

[BradtotheBone]

The House on Tuesday evening approved an amendment to a huge Hurricane Sandy relief bill that adds $33.7 billion to the bill, nearly tripling the size of the main bill.

Members approved the amendment from Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) in a 228-192 vote. It was opposed by 190 Republicans, but 38 Republicans joined 190 Democrats in support and allowed it to pass.

That vote put the House on a path to passing a $50.7 billion disaster aid bill early Tuesday evening. Along the way, the House also rejected several other amendments that would have shaved millions of dollars off the cost of the bill.

The House also voted on amendments from:

Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), striking $150 million for Regional Ocean Partnership grants. Passed, 221-197.

Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.), clarifying that disaster money in the Frelinghuysen amendment is for states that were hit by Hurricane Sandy and suffered a fisheries disaster in 2012. Passed by voice vote.

[mykroar]

"We were going to stand on principle & reject it because it was so filled with pork, but we're incompetent getting our point across and it's hard to stand with no spines. -every GOPe Republican

[Uncle Chip]

We need the names of the 38 —

[Uncle Chip]

Proving that a Republican from New York, New Jersey, or anywhere else in New England is hardly distinguishable from a Democrat.

[berdie]

“barren coastline in North Carolina or Texas.”

I see that you have never been to either state.

[SeminoleCounty]

The Republican Party might as well move the HQ to Carlsbad, NM...as much as they cave on everything

[jazusamo]

Looks like it’ll be a good start.

[ncalburt]

Bachman was the traitor who bolted on the other 24 conservatives who tried to stop Bonehead from Being speaker again .
She switched her vote for bonner at the last minute .
Bought off !

[ncalburt]

Boustany is a corrupt troll from Lafayette La

[sergeantdave]

“We need a new conservative party. Until we put it together and bring it to power we are screwed and so is the nation.”

Conservatives couldn’t put together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

A new conservative party? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

You conservatives have proved that you can’t protect your children from commie teachers in public schools because you’re too damn lazy to attend school board meetings.

You conservatives can’t prevent sky-high taxes on your homes because you’re too lazy to attend county board meetings.

You are experiencing every misery because you failed to listen to the Founders who told you that liberty requires vigilance.

[representativerepublic]

I am shocked Bill Young from Florida voted for this

[montag813]

Young (AK)

I an sort of excuse the NY-NJ-PA Reps who voted with the 38, but Don Young? Did Sandy hit Alaska? Uh, no. But the bill included many millions in pork for Alaska, most likely included purely to obtain his vote. Conservatives in Alaska need to dispatch this criminal whore in 2014.

[Alice in Wonderland]

Oh, but I’ve been to both.

I see you have never been to The Rockaways.

[BradtotheBone]

Here’s the 38 Repubs that voted with the RATS.

Alexander, Barletta, Boustany, Carter, Cole, Collins (NY), Cramer, Culberson, Rodney Davis, Denham, Dent, Diaz-Balart, Fitzpatrick, Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Gerlach, Gibson, Granger, Grimm, Hanna, Harper, King (NY), Lance, LoBiondo, Lucas, Meehan, Palazzo, Reed, Reichert, Ros-Lehtinen, Runyan, Shimkus, Smith (NJ), Turner, Whitfield, Wolf, Young (AK), Young (FL)

[Alice in Wonderland]

FYI:

Texas has 350 miles of barrier beaches. Padre Island is 114 miles long with a population of about 13,000. Galveston Island is 27 miles long and has a population of 58,175. Mustang Island is 18 miles long with 3,480 residents. I believe St. Joseph’s (San Jose) and Matagora Islands are unpopulated.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is 200-miles long, with a population of 57,755.

Between the two states there are 550 miles of barrier beaches with a population of approximately the same as New York’s Rockaway Peninsula which is 11 miles long and has a population of 130,000.

[berdie]

Actually, I’ve visited the Rockaways albeit many years ago.

I’s sure the population there has increased as it has everywhere. :)

[berdie]

I’s= I’m...Accckkk

[berdie]

I really wish I had more time to devote to giving a better answer (backed up by stats, etc.) this evening, but my time is short.

Although the total coastline miles and population of Texas and North Carolina are different than the Rockaways, the population centers in both states are concentrated in localized areas...not scattered thru out the many miles of coastlines.

When hurricanes hit these areas they are as devasting as Sandy was. Heck, there was a hurricane in the early 1900’s on Galveston Island that killed about 8,000 people. Corpus Christie has a population of about 308,000. Houston, although 30 miles or so inland, often bears the brunt of hurricanes.

I never meant to minimalize the effects of Sandy on the Rockaways. It was (and is) a horrible thing. But I look at what Floridians and others have endured. Is it so different?