[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18660-18661]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dold). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. King) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KING of New York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the outset, let me 
thank you for your service during your time in Congress, and thank you 
for your remarks here this morning.
  I think it's important to set the record straight. Last night, many 
of us came to the floor and rightly said that the conduct of the 
Republican leadership was disgraceful, it was indefensible, and it was 
immoral. But I think it's important to lay out the facts as to how we 
reached this situation so we're not put in a position of name-calling 
or somehow we're angry or feelings are hurt. This goes far beyond any 
of that.
  The fact is, as Congresswoman Lowey said, within 10 days after 
Katrina, $60 billion was appropriated. That number ended up going well 
over $100 billion. It's now 9 weeks and nothing has been appropriated 
by this Congress for the people of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, 
and Long Island, which I represent.
  The fact is that over the last 5, 6, 7 weeks we did everything that 
the Republican leadership asked us to do. Governor Cuomo came down. I 
was at the meeting. He met with the Speaker. Governor Christie came 
down. He met with the Speaker. Mayor Bloomberg came down. He met with 
the majority leader. We were asked to submit detailed documentation. 
Governor Christie, Governor Cuomo, and Mayor Bloomberg all submitted 
absolute documentation. When we asked if anything else is required, 
they said, No, you've given us all we need.
  When the bill came from the Senate, we were told there was some pork 
in the bill. That was taken out of the bill. The bill that was going to 
be voted on on the House floor was exactly in compliance with what the 
Republican leadership asked us to do.
  Let me just say at this time, in my dealings with him, Majority 
Leader Cantor has been very straightforward,

[[Page 18661]]

very direct. Last night, I know that he was fighting to get the bill on 
the calendar. It was the Speaker that, for whatever reason, walked off 
the floor and said that the bill was being pulled.
  Now I don't enjoy saying this. I consider myself a personal friend of 
John Boehner. And John Boehner personally has been very helpful to me 
over the years. So it pains me to say this. But the fact is the 
dismissive attitude that was shown last night toward New York, New 
Jersey, and Connecticut, typifies, I believe, a strain in the 
Republican Party. I know this is not the place to discuss politics, but 
that politics seeps over into a governmental decision that was made.
  I can't imagine that type of indifference, that type of disregard, 
that cavalier attitude being shown to any other part of the country 
when we're talking about real life-and-death situations here--and to 
just have the Speaker walk off and not even tell us. He tells an aide 
to the majority leader, who then tells us that the item that means life 
and death was taken off the calendar and is gone for this session.
  Now they say it's going to be brought back up in January. The fact 
is: let's be real. We're not in session next week. The following week 
we're in session for 2 days. The following week is the inauguration, 
and we're in recess for 2 days. Then we have the State of the Union. 
Committees haven't even organized yet. And does anyone believe if they 
wouldn't vote for a $60.4 billion last night, that the Appropriations 
Committee is suddenly going to get religion and going to vote the full 
amount, when we know what their attitude is--that somehow money going 
to New York and New Jersey and Connecticut is corrupt money, when money 
going to their States is so honorable. I would just say that these 
people have no problem finding New York when it comes to raising money. 
It's only when it comes to allocating money that they can't find the 
ability to do it.
  So I'm standing here on the House floor today saying we have a moral 
obligation as Republicans, as Democrats, as Americans. I spoke to 
Governor Christie and Governor Cuomo. We've been in constant contact 
with Mayor Bloomberg. We cannot believe that this cruel knife in the 
back was delivered to our region. I have to go home this weekend and 
next weekend and the week after and see the hundreds and thousands of 
people who are out of their homes, who don't have shelter, who don't 
have food, and they're living with relatives, friends, and living in 
trailers. This is not the United States of America. This should not be 
the Republican Party. This should not be the Republican leadership.
  I'm asking the Speaker, tell Hal Rogers and these people who somehow 
who have become very sanctimonious when dealing with New York and New 
Jersey that they have an obligation to do what they have to do--and 
that's provide the aid and relief that we need. If there's one penny 
that they have a problem with, let us know. But don't walk out in the 
dark of night and ignore us.

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