Angry Christie slams Boehner for abandoning Sandy victims
Citing "selfishness" and "duplicity," an angry and frustrated Gov. Christie blamed a fellow Republican, House Speaker John Boehner, for withholding $60 billion in aid for Sandy victims. "Last night politics was placed before our oath to serve our citizens," Christie said at news conference carried live on CNN. "For me it was disappointing and disgusting to watch." Christie said he was assured that the House of Representatives would vote on the Sandy aid package before the current Congress adjourns. But at 11:20 pm last night, he was told Boehner pulled the bill without explanation, and then Boehner wouldn't take Christie's four follow-up phone calls.
Angry Christie slams Boehner for abandoning Sandy victims
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
Full story in Thursday's paper, here.
TRENTON – Citing “selfishness” and “duplicity,” an angry and frustrated Gov. Christie blamed a fellow Republican, House Speaker John Boehner, for withholding $60 billion in aid for Sandy victims.
“Last night politics was placed before our oath to serve our citizens,” Christie said at news conference carried live on CNN. “For me it was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
Minutes after Christie wrapped up his remarks, which dominated cable news and trended on Twitter, House Republicans said votes on Sandy aid would be held by Jan. 15. Two votes may be held, with the first coming this Friday for $9 billion in flood relief.
But Christie had been assured that the House of Representatives would vote on the Sandy aid package before the current Congress adjourns tomorrow. The Senate, with bipartisan support, had already approved it. Then, at 11:20 last night, he was told Boehner pulled the bill without explanation.
So Christie called Boehner. He called four times. But the highest-ranked Republican in the country wouldn't take the governor's calls.
Christie began his remarks this afternoon by listing the amount of time it took Congress to send aid to victims of other natural disasters – like 10 days for Hurricane Katrina. By contrast, it's been 66 days since Sandy damaged or destroyed 346,000 New Jersey homes and housing units, and sent more than 7,000 people to shelters.
"Sixty-six days and counting: Shame on you, shame on Congress," Christie said. Congress showed “callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state.”
And while the governor praised the Republican leadership’s No. 2 in the House, U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.), he laid the blame, specifically and squarely, on Boehner.
“The speaker’s irresponsible action in not moving on anything at least appears, from the information I’ve been given, will leave the flood insurance program broke by the end of next week,” Christie said.
Christie spoke with Boehner this morning, he said, and was told that the speaker would meet with New Jersey congressmen today. Christie didn’t disclose any more of their conversation, and he said he wasn’t sure what caused the last-minute tabling of the bill, but he indicated a power struggle -- "palace intrigue" -- between Boehner and Cantor may have been the cause.
“On a political chessboard of internal palace intrigue and politics our people were played last night as a pawn, and that's why people hate Washington DC, that's why people hate this politics," he said. "Last night it was my party responsible."
Christie dismissed my suggestion that the failure to bring the spending bill up for a vote had something to do with the right wing of his party, embodied by the anti-spending tea party, which since the 2010 GOP takeover of the House has wielded considerable sway among Republicans.
“No, no, no, no, no no no," he said. "I'm telling you, Matt, it's internal politics."
Later, he added: "If one set of Republicans was trying to prove something to another set of Republicans, I hope they proved it."
Christie fell short of calling for Republicans to withhold donations from the House GOP, as one Republican congressman from New York has suggested, but he said: “Certainly at the moment I wouldn’t be looking to do much for House leadership.” He also threatened to campaign against incumbent House Republicans who played a part.
“Primaries are an ugly thing,” he said.
But, "tomorrow's a new day, and he can prove to me that he really cares about the people of New York and New Jersey and get this done," Christie said.
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Christie is great.- LoL...
The Fiscal Bill just passed will increase the US national debt another $4 TRILLION; and
The Fiscal Bill just passed did nothing to lower spending; and
The Fiscal Bill just passed did nothing to lower (or maintain) 2012 level payroll taxes; and
Obamacare just kicked in with another $1 TRILLION in taxes on medical services and equipment; and
The private Central Bank is issuing $80 BILLION in new US debt per month. Currently the US dept (10 yr Treasuries) are financed at roughly 1%. In 2015, the Central Bank will need to raise the interest rate, which if they raise it to a modest 4%, means the interest payment alone will QUADRUPLE forcing the US to:
A) Default on its national debt and;
B) Seek an IMF bailout; and
C) Dollar will loose world currency status.
Think Greece was bad, just wait until 2015 in the US.
— Professor1982 - The Federal Reserve has nothing to do with the interest rate paid on he national debt. The rate on the national debt is set by treasury auctions. We are no where near the economy of Greece. Your complete and utter lack of understanding of basic government finance is overwhelming.
— jonline - He is absolutely right that our elected officials have forgotten their oaths to serve. We are all in danger of forgetting that there is a common good.— philapat
- If anyone read the Bill, you would see that it couldn't pass "as is". It was laden with so much pork that it actually would have cost nearly 4x more than the Bill actually awards to victims.
Blame this one on Democrats trying to stuff the Bill with garbage.— Professor1982 - While you are correct, their is a bigger point. Every single Bill gets loaded with tons of pork(huge problem) from BOTH(!!) parties. Republicans are the ones who scream out against it on a national stage, then go home and cut the red tape saying look what i gave you, now vote for me. The fact that Republicans chose a disaster relief package that is badly needed to make a political point is whats wrong. They could have made the same point on any number of bills. Christie is right when he said the people who are truly in need of this aid were played like pawns. — Stephen45
- You gotta love these republican house members these clowns take their marching orders from the druggie Rush
and make pledges to Grover Norquist not the American citizen
You put these circus freaks in and they step on your saltine neck good for them...— nat turner - The problem isn't the republicans or the democrats...it's both. And not just those in position...it's everyone. As long as people continue to put their agendas before needs we'll never get anywhere.
And yea, nat turner, that includes you. Instead of actually using any one of your brain cells to actually research the issue, and instead just choose to believe whatever info your fed, that is to your liking, you'll never be able to make an informed decision.
Because that's the problem with politics isn't it? It's not really a breeding ground of improvement, no...it's just one side waiting to be fed, like fishies in a tank, by their position players, and the other doing the same thing.
Neither side actually sees anything for what it really is...Every complaint about the opposition has been fed to you by your herders, just like every positive has been. You really think that makes you informed?
Nope, only way to actually know what your talking about is to actively seek the truth from both sides, and accept it even it goes against your agenda. This will never happen.— MFPhils 
No doubt that Christie is paving his road to the White House for his run in 2016 and trying to build widespread appeal......but this time, he's right.- He'll never be president as a Republican. He'll have to switch to Democrat if he wants to run in 2016.
And he's not right. NY and NJ can only use $9 Billion in aid right now. A year from now they'll need another $11 Billion and in another year another $14 Billion. But the greedy Demopukes stuffed the bill with pet pork spending projects (that has nothing to do with hurricane relief) and it went nowhere. We should all be thanking the Republicans that refused to pass this wasteful spending bill. The Rs have no problem giving the $9, $11 and $14 Billion in aid but once you force unnecessary spending into the bill it becomes a problem. We're broke and borrowing like crazy. Can we please take it easy on the spending for once.
— mephisto - Why people continue to think that Republicans are somehow innocent when it comes to the "Pork" problem is completely mind blowing. Literally the only difference between the parties is that Democrats don't hide their spending. Republicans are famous for railing against spending, but the second the cameras turn off they take every penny they can get — Stephen45
- Right or Left, Christie is definitely right. It's all about party politics instead of us. The more I hear from Christie, the more I like him.— PotteryPete
- It looks as if Speaker Boehner threw a hissy fit!
I wonder if Rep. Cantor will be a candidate for the position of the Housespeaker for the new House of Representatives?— EIK - This comment has been deleted.— moretea4me
- Yes...the economy tanked because some families like to spend their summer weekends at the shore. That's some brilliant insight there, chief. — Bossman76
Reach him at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattkatz00. Reach Matt at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
