BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – Three Louisiana Republican lawmakers are pushing back after being attacked in the media and by fellow Republicans and Democrats in Congress over disaster relief money for the state’s flood victims.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) are requesting that Congress approve at least $2 billion in federal disaster relief to aid flood victims after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) pressed President Obama for the same.
The three GOP lawmakers have all taken shots from the mainstream media and other lawmakers for previously voting against a massive spending package that included Superstorm Sandy relief money in 2013.
Reps. Fleming and Cassidy argue that the disaster relief for Louisiana flood victims is not similar to the relief package that included Sandy disaster money.
“All Louisiana’s asking for is direct relief for damage,” Fleming told The Hill. “That’s what I was willing to vote for in Sandy, and that’s what I’m going to vote for on this. And that’s all we’re requesting. We’re not asking for wasteful spending on projects unrelated to flooding.”
Fleming and Cassidy said they voted for the original $17 billion in Sandy aid, but would not support the $50 billion later pushed by Senate Democrats because it included $33 billion in federal funds that did not have anything to do with storm relief.
“I voted against that final package, you’re right,” Cassidy told The Hill. “But I voted for that $17 billion package that was truly recognized as Sandy aid.”
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) said that while he voted for the $50 billion Sandy relief package, the current disaster relief for Louisiana flood victims should not be held up because of his GOP colleagues’ previous votes. That has not stopped GOP Congressmen from attacking Fleming and Cassidy.
“I guess there is a certain irony in it, or poetic justice or something, but no, it wouldn’t stop me at all for voting for it,” Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told The Hill.
Last month, Breitbart Texas reported how the Los Angeles Times immediately began attacking Fleming, Cassidy and Scalise for their votes on Sandy aid, writing “They’re all likely exemplars of another Washington truism: fiscal responsibility is great, until it’s your own district that’s getting fiscally hammered.”
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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