The fury followed the decision by lawmakers to block a measure
that sought to provide billions of dollars in aid to New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and other states pummeled by Hurricane Sandy.
This is the kind of moment that, in today's hyper-choreographed
political age, does not often happen: An ambitious governor angrily
denounces his own political party before a national audience,
accusing its leader of "duplicity," "selfishness" and moral failure.
Chris Christie, the New Jersey Republican and possible 2016
presidential candidate with a reputation for take-no-prisoners
bluster, was among a number of Republicans from the Northeast who
erupted in fury on Wednesday after the U.S. House of
Representatives, which is controlled by their party, blocked a
measure that sought to provide billions of dollars in aid to New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other states pummeled by Hurricane
Sandy in late October.
Setting aside the usual caution that lawmakers, mindful of
relationships and protocol, bring to public appearances, Mr.
Christie made unequivocally clear whom he held responsible in
remarks to reporters in New Jersey. "There's only one group to blame
for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House
majority and their speaker, John Boehner," he said.
He then reiterated that the decision to block the relief bill
"was the speaker's decision, his alone."
One Northeastern Republican after another vented his outrage at
Mr. Boehner, of Ohio, who had quietly moved to keep the bill from
coming to the floor early Wednesday after a raucous marathon session
on fiscal issues.
Representative Michael G. Grimm, a Republican whose district in
the Staten Island borough of New York was among the hardest hit by
the storm, threatened not to vote for Mr. Boehner in his bid to be
re-elected House speaker; the election was scheduled for Thursday.
Representative Peter T. King, a New York Republican whose
constituents also suffered huge losses, urged New York's well-
heeled donor community not to contribute to Mr. Boehner's Republican
majority.
The anger that surfaced seemed to come as a bit of a shock to Mr.
Boehner, who quickly sought to contain any political fallout. After
meeting with Republican lawmakers from the storm-tossed region, he
pledged to bring a $9 billion relief package to the floor on Friday
and a $51 billion package on Jan. 15.
"Getting critical aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy should be
the first priority in the new Congress," Mr. Boehner said in a
statement that he released with Representative Eric Cantor of
Virginia, the Republican majority leader in the House. "That was
reaffirmed today with members of the New York and New Jersey
delegations."
But it was unclear whether Mr. Boehner could undo the damage he
had done.
Mr. Christie said Mr. Boehner had refused to take his calls
Tuesday night.
After finally getting through to him on Wednesday morning, Mr.
Christie expressed doubt in the speaker's word in his
characteristically blunt way.
"I'm not going to get into the specifics of what I discussed with
John Boehner today," he told reporters in New Jersey. "But what I
will tell you is there is no reason at the moment for me to believe
anything they tell me. Because they have been telling me stuff for
weeks, and they didn't deliver."
Mr. King later struck a more conciliatory note. "This procedure
that is laid out is fully acceptable" he said, reacting to the
schedule presented by Mr. Boehner. "Fact is, we are getting what New
York and New Jersey needs, and that is what counts."
Mr. Grimm also seemed mollified, saying he would support the
speaker after all.
As much as the outcry spoke of the extraordinary dissension
within the Republican ranks, it also underscored another political
reality: the relative lack of clout that Northeastern states like
New York have in the House, a chamber dominated by conservatives
from the South and Midwest.
In many respects, lawmakers from the region must frequently
contend with the perception, whether fair or not, that the region
they represent is a liberal bastion that is politically and
culturally out of touch with the rest of the United States.
The region's political standing in the House is such that leading
New York politicians turned to prominent New York City businessmen
with close ties to the Republican Party in their efforts to persuade
House leaders to pass a disaster relief package.
For Mr. Christie, there may have been some calculus behind the
ire. The governor has earned fans around the country with his
regular-guy toughness. Some voters, disillusioned with both parties,
are looking for a candidate who can claim a mantle of independence.
Mr. Christie's warm embrace of President Barack Obama in the
aftermath of the hurricane, days before the November election, left
some of his Republican supporters astonished and hurt. Some
surrogates of the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, later blamed
Mr. Christie for helping to turn the campaign's momentum against
him. The governor has sought to mend those ties; it was unclear
whether his words on Wednesday had strained them anew.
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News Column
Northeast Republicans Lash Out at GOP Over Sandy Relief
Jan. 3, 2013
Raymond Hernandez and Michael Grynbaum
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Source: (C) 2013 International Herald Tribune. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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