Chris Christie To Congress: Don’t Hold Disaster Relief Funds Hostage To Spending Cuts

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and others on Capitol Hill, are saying that Federal disaster aid for states hit by Hurricane Katrina must be offset by spending cuts, but New Jersey’s Chris Christie isn’t too thrilled with that idea:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reacted angrily to a fight brewing in Washington over whether Hurricane Irene disaster aid may need to be offset by federal spending cuts.

“Our people are suffering now, and they need support now. And they [Congress] can all go down there and get back to work and figure out budget cuts later,” the Republican governor told a crowd in the flood-ravaged North Jersey town of Lincoln Park.

Christie said no such discussion was held when help went to Joplin, Mo., where a deadly May tornado damaged 7,500 homes.

“We need the support now here in New Jersey, and that’s not a Republican or a Democratic issue,” Christie said, according to NorthJersey.com

Christie, of course, is doing his job as Governor of New Jersey but, one wonders how the Tea Party will feel about this one.

FILED UNDER: Congress, Deficit and Debt, Natural Disasters, US Politics, , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. James Joyner says:

    Gotta say I’m with Christie on this one. We do budgets once a year. Every little event shouldn’t be an excuse for another showdown, holding some vital program hostage.

  2. @James Joyner:

    Not to mention the fact that a budget written in October — or in this case April — c;an’t anticipate everything that’s going to happen over the course of a year.

  3. Murray says:

    “…one wonders how the Tea Party will feel about this one.”

    I think it is safe to say Christie doesn’t give a damn about them.

  4. @Murray:

    One of the reasons I like him, even if I don’t always agree with him

  5. one wonders how the Tea Party will feel about this one.

    Anything that makes the Tea Party heave makes me smile.