Sandy Relief State House Press Conference in Trenton, NJ on 01-02-2013
(Transcript Below)
“When Hurricane Andrew made landfall on August 24th 1992, Congress and President Bush 41 responded within thirty-one days with a federal aid package.
When Hurricane Gustav made landfall on September 1st 2008, and then Hurricane Ike hit twelve days later, Congress and President Bush 43 responded in seventeen days with a federal aid package.
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29th 2005, Congress and President Bush 43 responded with an initial $62.3 billion aid package in ten days.
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29th 2012, sixty-six days ago. In our state alone, 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Nearly seven million New Jerseyans were without power, some for up to fourteen days. Nearly 600 state roads were closed. 127 shelters housed and fed over 7,000 evacuated citizens. All regional mass transit and Hudson River crossings were closed. All New Jersey schools were closed, some for weeks. Tens of thousands of businesses were damaged or destroyed with many still closed. Our Jersey Shore was devastated, with the loss of homes, public buildings, and iconic symbols of New Jersey culture and economic vitality destroyed. Tens of thousands of our citizens entered 2013 unsure of their future, as they spent a holiday season displaced from all that was familiar and comforting. Thirty-one days for Andrew victims. Seventeen days for victims of Gustav and Ike. Ten days for victims of Katrina. For the victims of Sandy in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, it has been sixty-six days and the wait continues.
There’s only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims, the House majority and their Speaker, John Boehner. This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. National disasters happen in red states and blue states, and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters not as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans, or at least we did until last night. Last night, politics was placed before our oaths to serve our citizens. For me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch.
On January 19th 2010 I took an oath to serve all the people of New Jersey, without regard to race or ethnicity, gender or political affiliation, and for the last 1,079 days I have worked as hard as I could to be loyal to that oath, whether under the pressure of dealing with a Legislature of the opposite party or the scrutiny of a hotly-contested election, I have always put the people of New Jersey and my oath ahead of petty personal politics.
Last night, the House of Representatives failed that most basic test of public service, and they did so with callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state. If you want an example of how nonpartisan this issue should have been, I offer this for your consideration: near midnight last night, conservative congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, and former speaker Nancy Pelosi of California both spoke on the floor in concert with each other and in support of this aid package. It’s one for the record books I suspect. On the equities, this should be a no-brainer for the House Republicans as well. Both New York and New Jersey used the international firm of McKinsey and Company to assess and quantify the damage to our states. Our professional staffs have spent countless hours with congressional staff, providing leadership and backup documentation for all of the damage claims. Governor Cuomo and I have spent hours and hours speaking to individual members of the House and Senate to answer their questions. We worked with President Obama and his administration and satisfied them of the urgent need of this $60 billion aid package. This was good enough for sixty-two United States senators of both parties to vote for this package. This was good enough for a majority of the House of Representatives. It overcame all the factual challenges. It just could not overcome the toxic internal politics of the House majority.
…In our hour of desperate need, we have been left waiting for help six times longer than the victims of Katrina with no end in sight…
Despite my anger and disappointment, my hope is that the good people in Congress, and there are good people in Congress, will prevail upon their colleagues to finally, finally, put aside the politics and help our people. Now. That’s the only hope we have left, is for the good people to prevail upon the others.
One thing I can assure the people of this region is this: Governor Cuomo and I will not stop fighting together to see that justice is done, and that our citizens’ suffering is finally addressed by this Congress.”
source
Apparently major disasters just get funding in blue states. As little West, Tx had a major disaster in which 15 people were killed and hundreds of buildings and infrastructure were damaged in an explosion. President Obama said that the government would be there after the cameras left. Subsequently FEMA denied major disaster status to this little town. Sorry West you're not big or blue enough for much outside a photo op.
thank you
so what if he's fat, he's something rare in politics, he's got a an IQ above 80
Seriously Jimbo, crawl back into whatever hole you came from. Come back in another month. It'll probably take take you that long to think of something semi-intelligent to say. But please bother someone else so they might get as much entertainment I've had from your comments. Like watching a train wreck.
Stop replying to this post, you have limited resources and are incapable of having an intelligent reasonable conversation. You're a very angry person and can't deal with people having a different view than yours. Typical Nazi tactics. Being an American means that everyone can have different ideas and not have to worry about trolls like yourself trying to shout them down with vile language because their verbal skills are such that they have no other means to express themselves.
Obama's spending trillions of dollars like it's water and you're saying Katrina and Sandy Hook victims can't get FEMA aid because of Republicans? If Republicans could (or even tried) to muster the backbone to say no to all the spending, we would not be looking at an enormous national debt that Obama did not inherit.
Look who's calling who a Nazi. A complete moron blindly following and ignoring things happening around them, I think that's how Hitler got his power right? Go look in a mirror Jimbo. Turds like you have lost your way. How the heck can you stick up for Nagin?You must be a politician or work for one. You sound just like them. Keep justifying things that are wrong because that's the way they have always been done. I started this post with civility, you are the one who started name calling. JackAss!
Stop cheer-leading for politicians and open your eyes. I used to be a Christie fan but after he let this go by without saying anything, he lost my support. He's the same as all the other politicians. Me, Me Me!
This is a month old? I do get it but you obviously don't. Just because something has been done for 100 yrs doesn't make it right. And as long as people such as yourself are willing to sweep it under the carpet this will continue to happen. No wonder the public has such low regard for our government. No one cared where the Katrina funds went either and look at Mayor Nagin now. Indicted for Katrina fraud. How many actual Katrina victims received those funds over Nagins buddies and family.
ha Ha HA !
sounds like obamas speech at the 2004 convention….no red states, no blue states….
The good news is that both problems can be fixed-I mean changed!
I am asking questions. If you do not like the answers, that is not my problem.
Congress created the fiscal cliff in the first place. They couldn't even deal with the monster they themselves made. Boehner is just a symptom of the disease. The fiscal cliff was supposed to force real budget negotiations. When it came time to do it, they just couldn't. Sequester looks better than the alternatives at this point. The republican party is just over at this point. It is time for conservatives to look for better options.
Got your FEMA aid, yet? And you were blaming Boehner? The man who caved on Obama's "fiscal cliff"?
Trying to find a job otta be worth at least as much as collecting glorified welfare to dole out foodstamps?
Romney and Akin got Obama re-elected. Republicans in congress got Obama re-elected. The party has strays so far from where it was that many of its members are being left behind. Look back at Reagan, Nixon or Eisenhower and compare with the current pack of droolers. Conservatives need to look elsewhere for representation. Perhaps a new party will be it.
anyone can call themselves a republican or a democrat but actions will speak louder than words. christie thinks he is tony soprano. You better not disagree with him or he might just tell you to shut up and leave. What happens if you don't? You don't wanna know. He is a democrat even though he wears a republican hat. He got obama re elected. Period.
Only while we watch them like hawks. Look away for just a second that they will be up to mischief. Embarrassment only works when someone is watching. Doing things because they are the right things to do is better.
It wasn't just a political photo op. The vast majority of politicians actually care about the people they work for, and Obama's no exception. Yes there was a political overtone to his visit to New Jersey, as there is with everything presidents do, but that overtone and the speculation it prompted were more the media's doing than the president's.
Obama didn't do a terrible job. Nor did FEMA. Yes there were instances where they could have done better, but FEMA definitely didn't do a "terrible job
Good. I'm glad they're doing the right thing.
So when natural disasters hit, you think politicians should bicker and fight and act along party lines instead working together? Obama and Christie showed that rivals can come together in times of disaster, which is something that should make you proud to be a republican.
so he is a real republican
A bill has passed the house and is headed for the senate. Embarrassing the congress over hypocrisy has worked. The New England states will now get the same treatment as solidly republican states until folks look away.
So has Chris Christie refused to help other states in their hour of need?
All these people are really good at is systematically eliminating people from life for little or no reason. The rest they bestow glorified welfare which the deluded are easily bribed into believing they earned. The stupid bastards believe they deserve more welfare money for doleing out welfare money? Kill all anti-socialists.
Typical Republican when other states need help forget about it (Missouri Flooding), but as soon as it is their State their hand is out. I think we should help each other, I just don't like hypocrites.
So let me guess, you think New Jersey is in good shape in every aspect… You must be on crack…
chris christie is the best you blood sucking liberal
chris christie the next president of the united states January 20 2017-January 20 2025
I dont believe in politics. This is sickening to listen to. Politicians are all crooked everyone of them. There isnt one honest politician in this country. I would never vote again for anything for anyone.. Fuc? you all… This country needs to wake up.
who said anything about defending politicians, though there would be Ron Paul, but we see what people think of honest politicians.
The government WAS created for a plethora of things. If it was created for just one thing, there would be no need for a congress, a president or a supreme court. Now you can make a legitimate argument that we shouldn't be insuring people that live in flood prone areas and thus encouraging construction in those areas. But it's pretty dumb to say gov't wasn't created for some specific item you disagree with.
The president can sign executive orders for instructions to the executive branch. So, for example, telling the justice dept. to concentrate on deporting undocumented criminals before children or working people is well within his rights as the President.
What he can't do, and hasn't done, is create new law, or spend money that congress hasn't authorized.