Mitt Romney offers answer on his FEMA stance
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a campaign rally on Halloween at Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, Florida, October 31, 2012. / EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
WASHINGTON There's nothing like a natural disaster to test the depth of politicians' preference for small government.
And so it turns out that after superstorm Sandy battered the East Coast, Mitt Romney is far more supportive of the government agency in charge of coordinating disaster relief. Only last year, as Romney hewed to the right while battling for the GOP nomination, he seemed to downplay the federal government's role in disaster response.
Before-and-after views of Sandy destruction
Romney on Hurricane Sandy: "We are going through trauma"
"Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction," Romney said at a debate last June. "And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that's even better."
Asked by moderator John King of CNN whether that would include disaster relief, Romney said: "We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids. It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids."
Now, a week before Election Day, after of a massive disaster, Romney's campaign is reassuring voters that his administration wouldn't leave disaster victims in the lurch. The public's attention is locked on the devastation caused by Sandy at a time when Romney and President Barack Obama are locked in a close presidential campaign. With Obama heavily involved in getting federal funds to those in trouble, the Romney campaign moved quickly to reassure the public it supports a strong program of storm relief.
"I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with states and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters," Romney said in a statement supplied by his campaign Wednesday. "As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because states and localities are in the best position to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters."
Wednesday's statement came after the candidate ducked a spate of opportunities Tuesday to personally clarify his position and the statement essentially endorsed the current disaster aid system.
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But what the campaign wouldn't do is say whether a President Romney would insist that help for disaster victims be funded by cutting other programs in the federal budget, as many conservative Republicans insist.
Running mate Paul Ryan is squarely on the side of cutting other spending to pay for disasters. Earlier this year, he tried but failed to scrap a new system, established in the 2011 debt ceiling-deficit cuts deal, that boosts disaster spending and budgets help for victims of hurricanes, tornadoes and floods before they occur. House leaders rebuffed him, siding with Appropriations Committee members of both parties who like the new system.
What Ryan proposed is that when disaster strikes, lawmakers first scour the rest of the budget for savings to pay for rebuilding homes, roads and schools and helping small businesses.
Aerial views of superstorm damage
That's easier said than done, especially since it can mean delays in getting aid out the door. Disasters like Hurricane Katrina — and perhaps Sandy — can prove so costly that it's difficult to find cuts in other programs big enough to pay for the aid.
As has been shown time after time — especially as tornadoes and hurricanes rip through politically conservative states — even the sturdiest tea party supporters become fans of government when it's doling out money to storm victims for motel rooms and other temporary housing or helping with house repairs.
That role fell Tuesday to New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie, who was effusive in his praise for Obama and the federal government's initial response.
"The president has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA," Christie said on NBC's "Today."
It'll take several weeks to come up with damage cost estimates to determine whether FEMA's main disaster account will need more money.
FEMA has enough cash available to deal with immediate disaster relief, almost $8 billion, thanks to a six-month government funding bill passed in September and the new disaster financing system.
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When you see the news on TV and see all the people in the northeast and they all look foreign to you, then what do you look like? A creature from Mars? or Venus? Do you look like ET?
Thanks for the reference. I looked it up. Either you don't understand English or you wanted to hear what you wanted to hear. But read the excerpt below which is directly from WAFF.com, your local Alabama station. That document that the Alabama utilities workers claimed they had to sign in order to work in NJ, well, it actually came from your own state.
Late Friday at a press conference, Hardin said the documents actually came from Electric Cities of Alabama, a coalition of the state's municipally owned utilities.
Bottom line, it appears now that Decatur Utilities wrongly assumed they would have to agree to the union contract before traveling to New Jersey to help with recovery efforts. The IBEW said in times of crisis, help is welcomed from union and non-union utility workers.
Hardin said as they waited for confirmation on the documents, crews received word that Seaside Heights had received the assistance they needed from other sources.
"At this stage, it is not clear who is alleged to have turned the crew away and the company that employs the affected workers has denied the claim," said IBEW President Ed Hill in a statement. "IBEW local leaders in New Jersey have reiterated what has been the long standing record of our union - in times of crisis all help is welcome and we pull together with everyone to meet the needs of the public. We have communicated this to the office of New Jersey Governor Christie as well."
...you haven't seen anything yet...what has the Pres done?. Promised more of our tax dollars?. Did he pack up supplies or grab a shovel.. Get over it..this is not about him and until all is restored and rebuilt..I would hold judgement.
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Think about it: The people who lost their homes and ALL their possessions, the elderly and people with disabilities stuck in their apartment buildings with no elevator service and no electricity, the businesses that got flooded, the people with no food, no water, no shelter, the people who are sleeping in bitter cold houses tonight, the people whose daily lives have been turned upside down, the millions who still don't have electricity, these are real people. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents... they're all in need of help right now. They don't ask where the help is coming from, whether it's from a Republican governor or a Democratic president. They are glad for any help they're being offered and as immediate as possible. You would feel the same if you were in these shoes.
In the meantime, I find all your expletives humorous!
FYI. Republican Governor Christie said that half the gas stations are not equipped to run gas generators.
Reports have come in that people have died from these portable generators so you are suggesting also supplying manpower, people who know how to operate them.
Portable generators require gasoline which is in short supply right now.
Portable generators can run for only a few hours and then depletes the fuel supply.
How would these portable generators help the people who are in flooded homes and have no where to go?
the people whose homes are completely destroyed?
Essential services for these folks are shelter, food, water, clothing, diapers, medicine, etc. Lots of shelters have opened up.
People stuck in their apartment buildings need people to go door to door, to check on them, offer help and food.
People who still have their homes and lost power are the ones who might be able to use a generator but you face the same situation, no gas.
I also believe that he and Ryan are anti-Christians, because neither of them follow the example or the commandments of Jesus, who counseled helping the less fortunate. Voucher care is a direct assault on some of the poorest people in America - those who are retired and live on fixed incomes. Ryan wants to fix a long term Medicare cash flow problem on the backs of these people through the use of vouchers, and Romney has jumped right on board the train to voucherland.
-Mitt Romney 2003
Romney's: I love FEMA, I love the 47%.
November 7, 2022:
Romney's: I hate FEMA, I hate the 47%!
Don't be surprised! You know he is a flip/flopper!
FEMA is a proven disaster...it only has money b/c we just gave them 10B more.. I am amazed at how truly people follow the MSM, and how uneducated they are on the facts.