Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
A couple of items the "less-than-do-nothing" Tea-Publican 112th Congress, the "Worst. Congress, Ever.", left unfinished last night.
First, was Hurricane Sandy relief which has Northeast politicians from Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to Governor Chris Chrisitie (R-NJ) fuming today. Gov. Christie lambastes ‘toxic’ House Republicans over Sandy aid delay:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) condemned House Republicans Wednesday afternoon for failing to pass a $60 billion package of funding for Hurricane Sandy relief. In the strongest terms, he accused House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) of letting “toxic internal politics” impede necessary storm relief.
“There’s only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these victims: the House majority and their speaker,” Christie said. “It was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
* * *
President Obama has called on the House to immediately pass the aid package.
The governor said that the lawmakers had failed to put the country before their own political careers, showing “callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state.”
The package “could not overcome toxic internal politics of the House majority,” Christie said. ”Shame on you, shame on Congress.” He went on to criticize lawmakers who suggested there was too much unnecessary spending in the bill as “know-nothings” who “should spend a little less time reading the political talking points put together by their staff.”
Christie said he called Boehner four times late last night, and the speaker did not return his calls.
Update: Peter King says anyone from New York or New Jersey would be nuts to support House Republicans.
Second, was renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. Steve Benen reports, House GOP blocks Violence Against Women Act:
Back in April, the Senate approved VAWA reauthorization fairly easily, with a 68 to 31 vote. The bill was co-written by a liberal Democrat (Vermont's Pat Leahy) and a conservative Republican (Idaho's Mike Crapo), and seemed on track to be reauthorized without much of a fuss, just as it was in 2000 and 2005.
But House Republicans insisted the bill is too supportive of immigrants, the LGBT community, and Native Americans -- and they'd rather let the law expire than approve a slightly expanded proposal. Vice President Biden, who helped write the original law, tried to persuade House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to keep the law alive, but the efforts didn't go anywhere.
And so, for the first time since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act is no more. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Democratic point person on VAWA, said in a statement:
"The House Republican leadership's failure to take up and pass the Senate's bipartisan and inclusive VAWA bill is inexcusable. This is a bill that passed with 68 votes in the Senate and that extends the bill's protections to 30 million more women. But this seems to be how House Republican leadership operates. No matter how broad the bipartisan support, no matter who gets hurt in the process, the politics of the right wing of their party always comes first."
Proponents of the law hope to revive the law in the new Congress, starting from scratch, but in the meantime, there will be far fewer resources available for state and local governments to combat domestic violence.
The GOP war against women continues unabated and unchastened by electoral defeat in November.
UPDATE: The media blitz by Northeast politicians today may have paid off, but not until the next Congress. House GOP Announce Sandy Relief Votes:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) issued a joint statement on Wednesday announcing that the House will hold two votes on Hurricane Sandy relief in the coming weeks:
"Getting critical aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy should be the first priority in the new Congress, and that was reaffirmed today with members of the New York and New Jersey delegations. The House will vote Friday to direct needed resources to the National Flood Insurance Program. And on January 15th, the first full legislative day of the 113th Congress, the House will consider the remaining supplemental request for the victims of Hurricane Sandy."
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