In an abrupt last-minute shift on the last day of the 112th Congress, House Leadership decided not to allow a vote on the Senate-passed Hurricane Sandy relief legislation.
WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – January 2, 2013 — The bill included $150 million for the fisheries disasters declared by the Department of Commerce. This is a reversal of the previously announced vote schedule.
Congressman John Tierney, a Massachusetts Democrat, in a prepared statement said: "House Republican Leadership is running out the clock on the 112th Congress without providing much-needed relief to families and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy and our fishermen. This is shameful. With bipartisan support, the Senate passed a Hurricane Sandy relief bill, which included $150 million for the fisheries disasters declared by the Department of Commerce. There were signals that the House was going to follow suit, but today House Republican Leadership reversed course and opted to do nothing. Now, work on this important issue will have to start over in the next Congress and assistance for the families, fishermen and small businesses devastated by these economic and natural disasters will be unnecessarily delayed. As soon as the new Congress convenes, I will work with colleagues representing the impacted people and areas and keep pressing this issue to ensure appropriate relief is provided to those who need it," said Congressman John Tierney, who advocated for the inclusion of fisheries disaster assistance funding in any Hurricane Sandy relief legislation.
Longtime Republican Congressman Peter King was extraordinarily sharp in his criticism of his own party. "These people have no problem finding New York, these Republicans, when they are trying to raise money," he told CNN. "They raised millions of dollars in New York City and New Jersey, they sent Governor Christie around the country raising millions of dollars for them. I'm saying, anyone from New York and New Jersey who gives one penny to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee should have their head examined."
"People in my party, they wonder why they're becoming a minority party, they're writing off New York, they're writing off New Jersey," he continued. "Well, they've written me off, and they're going to have a hard time getting my vote, I can tell you that." Asked if the incident is enough to make him switch parties, King said, "I'm going to do what I have to do, I'm going to be independent minded, as John Kennedy said, 'Sometimes party loyalty demands too much' . . . Often, you give the benefit of the doubt to your party, but I'm over that."
Read more reactions from Members of Congress in the San Francisco Chronicle