Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Listen to the Buck Sexton Show Live on TheBlaze Radio

Furious Chris Christie Rips John Boehner Over Canceled Sandy Vote in Heated Presser

Jan. 2, 2013 3:18pm Madeleine Morgenstern

A furious New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie unloaded on House Speaker John Boehner Wednesday following the cancellation of a promised vote for Hurricane Sandy relief, saying the people of his state were “played last night as a pawn” by his own Republican Party.

“There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims,” Christie said after the 11th-hour decision to scrap the vote. “The House majority and their speaker, John Boehner. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. National disasters happen in red states and blue states and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did until last night.”

Christie said he had been given personal assurance that the $60 billion aid bill would go before the House on Tuesday. The Senate passed the measure last week. With Congress’ term coming to a close on Thursday, members will have to start from scratch to help the hundreds of thousands affected by the megastorm.

“Last night, the House majority failed the most basic test of leadership and they did so with callous disregard to the people of my state,” Christie said. “Our people were played last night as a pawn. That’s why people hate Washington.”

Christie said he has yet to be given a “substantive, credible reason” for why the bill wasn’t put to a vote. He said he tried to reach Boehner four times Tuesday night to find out what happened, but “he did not take my calls.”

“Sixty-six days and counting [since Sandy],” Christie said. “Shame on you. Shame on Congress.”

Christie’s criticisms echoed those of Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who said earlier on Wednesday that New Yorkers shouldn’t give a penny to House Republicans after Tuesday’s “knife in the back.”

But National Review’s Daniel Foster and Betsy Woodruff each pushed back against the outrage that has erupted since Tuesday night. Foster wrote:

[T]he Sandy “relief” bill is really a Sandy “recovery” bill. It’s about the size and shape of the second wave of Sandy spending, which can and should be much more deliberate than the the first wave. The first wave of Sandy spending is already happening. Is it happening quickly or efficiently enough? There is no such thing as quickly or efficiently enough for the people of Staten Island or Seaside Heights, but it’s nevertheless safe to assume that if you think private charities and emergency responders aren’t allocating efficiently, you’re probably going to be disappointed by Congress, too. In fact, according to an analysis released by Sens. Coburn and McCain, “64 percent of the $60.4 billion in ‘emergency’ spending in this legislation will not be spent for nearly two years.

And among some of the provisions in the Senate-passed bill:

•$2 million to repair damage to the roofs of museums in Washington, D.C., while many in Hurricane Sandy’s path still have no roof over their own heads.

•$150 million for fisheries as far away from the storm’s path as Alaska.

•$125 million for the Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Watershed Protection program, which helps restore watersheds damaged by wildfires and drought.

•$20 million for a nationwide Water Resources Priorities Study.

•$15 million for NASA facilities, though NASA itself has called its damage from the hurricane ‘minimal.’

•$50 million in subsidies for tree planting on private properties.

This post has been updated.

–

RELATED:

Benghazi, IRS, AP...What's next? Only TheBlaze TV offers the truth from Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilkow, and Real News from TheBlaze. Get instant access and a free trial here.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (230)

fastgen1
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:47pm
With half the money in this bill being pork, these corrupt politictions just get get their hands on the money fast enough. Follow the money people, their stealing it right under your eyes. Our congress is so corrupt they don’t even try to hide it anymore. They know you won’t do anything, they know your sheepels…and guess what your going to vote for them next time arent you.
Log in to Reply Reply
dimart
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:46pm
Too bad you didn’t blow up at the Senate for tripling the bill with pork. You’ve fallen a long way since October Mr. Christie, and you’re still going down.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Stone Cold Truth
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:36pm
Screw Chris Christie.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
crusaderx9
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:33pm
Fat And Furious, another liberal production…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
What the Heck
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:33pm
Screw Christie! All the give away deals should stand on their own, easy to read and easy to take away and not be entwined with other crap programs. They gave a real **** kiss to the Hollywood bunch and that really pees me off.
Term limits, and clean legislation is a must.
Sorry you got hit with a storm but stuff happens and I should not have to pay for all of it. If your damn house was in order, both government and people, perhaps you would need to beg so.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
HLGarret
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:33pm
Wouldn’t their insurance companies pay with the policies the homeowners had, and business’?? Where would all that borrowed go anyway?? That’s why I have insurance!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Owt_Raged
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:32pm
He may speak his mind, and call himself a conservative and a republican but it’s obvious that it didn’t take long to suck him in to the “government way”.

I lost all respect for him when he kissed up to BHO right after the storm. What he should have said is “Our people are resilient and intelligent, they were prepared and well insured. Beyond some help from private charities, we will do this on our own. If there is federally owned property that is damaged, it’s up to you to fix that, we are a bit busy now.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Dale50
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:29pm
Anything that upsets this Rhino Republican is ok with me.
He needs to go ahead and come out of the liberal closet.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TelepromoterNChief
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:23pm
Chris JUDAS Christie, shut your pie hole short fat man.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- KingCoal59
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:03am
  Very funny , and so I taking it that you are not a fan of the Chrissy.
  
  Report this comment
HI_Don
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:16pm
Shame on Christie! If he wanted to make a real statement with honor and integrity about what really happened, like he used to speak about truth of the teacher unions and state worker contracts, he should have been outraged earlier when the Dem led Senate loaded the bill full of Pork ensuring that it would get held up and that politics was being played then. Amazing how Christie howled about how his state played games with the budget before he became Governor, but suddenly he doesn’t notice the game Washington is playing in the Senate.
I have lost ALL respect for Christie. Everything he did to save NJ from the Unions and politicians is out the window. Suddenly the king of Pork and Union is his hero just because he flew his Air Force Jet to NJ for a photo op during the final days of the campaign, but what did he actually DO for NJ? What outcome is better than it was for Katrina victims? Answer: NOTHING.
Christie can play his political game trying to win the guy in power for pork favors – but he is no longer an American Conservative if he ever was one. Watch- he will get busted in a greed scandal next, and will have earned it. I’m ashamed I ever thought this guy was conservative just because he pretended to stand up for the people, he was only standing up for himself.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
doitontheair
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:14pm
As I sit here thinking about about the future of our formally great nation, trying to keep the blood from squirting out of my ears, from the swelling of my brain. I did a little math. check this out.

Sandy Relief? Really?
How much money is 60 billion dollars? Let us put this into perspective. The U.S. Census Bureau reports nearly nine million (8,821,155) citizens in the entire state of New Jersey, 470,467 (about half a million) in Staten Island, (seven and a half million) in long Island. Just for fun let’s include the entire population of the state of New York 19, 500,000. Not everyone in all of each of these states was impacted directly with physical property damage. Now, let’s divide 60 billion by the total population of these two states. How much money is that per resident? A billion has 12 zeros before the 60. 60,000000000000 divided by about 29 million people. 29,000,000. That is over TWO MILLION DOLLARS PER RESIDENT!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!! This is your cash for the Unions in those states, out of your pockets.
313 million people in the nation, that comes out to over $191,000.00 per person.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
nocalifornia
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:12pm
Hay fat boy, just take your gun control loving big arse over to the dark side where you belong. What a hoser.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
charleyrocks
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:10pm
I believe Chris has the best interest of Americans, he has done his best, it is to my disgust toward the president. Do you think it’s because he is getting the mostly white people back because of Katrina? Bush responded fully after 10 days what is his beef. It’s a shame.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Al J Zira
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:07pm
Pretty amazing! About a year ago people on this site were begging Christie to run for president. Now, they seem a little upset with him. What happened?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- TelepromoterNChief
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:28pm
  That was his window to run for president, but ever since he got on his knees and slobbed some knob for The Annointed One, it was the final blow
  
  Report this comment
sexyvixen21
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:07pm
Mr. Christie should just give the “sandy victims” his weekly grocery money. That should take care of all of them.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
crusaderx9
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:06pm
Glad to hear this fat Fking ‘leader’ isn’t going to be delivered the Big Government TEAT – well not yet anyway

Christie’s eyes are closed and he is starting to fuss as his corpulent body lays sideways while his lips search for that Big Government TEAT. Pathetic, like the rest his liberal kind…

So much corruption in that filthy piece of attempted legislation. Time for another crappy concert to bail out Sandy victims…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Ironeagle
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:57pm
Too bad Qwisy Qwisty. Talk to your friend Barry Obama, DICTUS (Dictator,US) and beg for some of that Obammy cash.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Glennda
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:59pm
  Just likeBobby Jindahl and Rick Perry and Rick Scott.
  
  Report this comment
- TelepromoterNChief
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:29pm
  All are quickly forgotten once the campaign ended.
  
  Report this comment
- yiska8
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:38pm
  Uhmm, Rick Perry may be a RINO, but the entire state was on FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  But you wouldn’t know it unless you lived here. And believe me, it didn’t matter anyway. The funds never came for most. And FEMA was a damn joke. By the time any funds were sent from Big Bad Barry in Washington, the fires were long doused, and forestland beginning to grow grass again.
  Didn’t need Barry’s help then, but Perry, had to ask, because all state,local, and volunteers were strained to the max for weeks and months. Even other states helped us before that stinkin’ tyrant raised a finger to call and offer assistance. And don’t even get me started on how he treated Bobby Jindal during the BP crisis (BP who supported dear Baraka).I think I speak for most Texans when I say, Baraka and friends can go straight to HELL.
  
  Report this comment
- Glennda
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:59pm
  SHIKSA8 . . . Ahh, poor baby Texan . . . “strained to the max” were ya? Yeah, that whole “taking care of our own” thing sure can be tough, can’t it? What other course of action did you possible have but to stick out your pale little palms and ask Obama to fill it with that sweaty gubmint money? You had no choice. Like you said, the fires were long doused and the prairie grass was a’growin’ agin. Of course that is when you needed that money. Looks like most of Romney’s 47% wear boots and big buckles. Guess that whole secession thing is a long shot, eh? Stay tough, cowboy.
  
  Report this comment
- yiska8
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 3:06pm
  @Glennda
  Yeah, veterans and old people wanted some of their tax money that FUNDS the government BACK!!!
  Most were insured, but of course they got next to NOTHING after all they did.You know, since they WORKED and SERVED this nation! Texans pay their FAIR SHARE. WE ARE HOLDING UP THIS NATION financially.You probably moved here too with all the other Bolsheviks looking for job!!!!!!!!!!!! Or maybe you never leave the basement of you Mommy’s house??
  If Texas ever decided to move FORWARD with secession,Obama will go to war to KEEP US. That is damn GURANTEED, like a BARACKA HUSSEIN OBAMA Hawaiian VACATION!!!!!!!!
  You can have Obama’s America, and the field your King will assign you to work in GlennyGirl.
  Hope you have a strong back. I doubt it.
  
  I’ll keep a an Obama-free TEXAS.
  Texas Past. Texas Now. Texas FOREVER.
  
  Report this comment
Chrison
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:54pm
Christie said he has yet to be given a “substantive, credible reason” for why the bill wasn’t put to a vote. He said he tried to reach Boehner four times Tuesday night to find out what happened, but “he did not take my calls.”

It wasn’t put to a vote, Mr. Christie, because it was full of ridiculous “pork” spending that had NOTHING to do with Hurricane Sandy!

Although I like Chris Christie, this time I disagree with him. The House was RIGHT to let the bill die! They should NOT pass a so-called “Sandy Relief” bill that is full of all sorts of other crap that doesn’t have anything to do with Hurricane Sandy!

Shame on YOU, Mr. Christie! STOP whining about that ridiculous bill and START calling for Congress to pass REAL “Sandy Relief” that doesn’t waste the taxpayer’s money!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- KingCoal59
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:57am
  I don’t particularly like Christie I think he is pushy and rude but that is beside the point, it is 50 billion dollars, 50 billion dollars- that is a whole lot of money. Why didn’t these people who had omes on the shore have insurance? It’s not my place to subsidize some millionaire with a beach house. Sorry, but I think that figure is inflated, I think businesses and home owners should pay for their own rebuilding. There is way too much room in 50 billion dollars for this to become a second Christmas, to become a reelection campaign boost for this big lard a$$. I think this is the plan, no its too much money , and we don’t have it. FYI Chrissy I felt the same way after all of these hurricanes: HEY you live at the beach and it’s great until you get a hurricane, they should have bought insurance for their beach houses.
  
  Report this comment
stopprintn
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:54pm
Maybe Hissy Crissy can give Peter King a call and have a cry in yur beer summit.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
tothepoint
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:53pm
God love Chris Christie – He has no clue who or what he is.
Is he gnorant of why this bill didn’t pass? Naaah. He’d have to be really stupid not to know, as the rest of the country does, that the bill is FULL of PORK the lefties stuck in there to give to their buddies, as usual.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
bcope01
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:52pm
Tough!! Quit your whining East Coast Libs.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TIMEBOMB
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:52pm
Come on Chris why all the huffing and puffing? I told you after our make out session that I got yo ample back. I have slush funds in the billions that will take care of you,you helped me get reelected and I told you I’d take care of you,now settle down before you have a heart attack,the progressive party needs you,
Praise be to me BHO.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Blazen420
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:49pm
The rest of America Should rejoice!!! Why should I have to contribute to your losses, Gov Christie? That’s what insurance is for……..

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
mrunner
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:47pm
Christie- you lost all luster when you attached your lips to King Obamas rear. I don’t recall the midwest crying out to the gubbermint for help when they experienced all that flooding. They pulled together, neighbor helping neighbor and good people offering a hand. You and your state are beholden to the federal government because you rely on the federal government. The federal government is supposed to derive its power from the people and the states- not the other way around Jumbo.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
azsun
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 3:47pm
I say pass a FAT TAX and anyone overweight pays the tax by the pound. That’s half the money you wanted on your Fat A*s alone once you weigh in on the scales. And where is all that money you guys collect. Why always the fed to bail out people who live by the sea where these events happen. Make your insurance companies pay for the risk they collected money all these years on.If you are under insured, that is because you did.t want to pay insurance money at what needed to be covered. Sounds like grease money you are asking for. Not that east coast states grease hands with money for political purposes. Or is it called DUES? Thought the people on the east coast were so family orientated an all together family thing against everyone else. Remember when we sent volunteers to help out from AZ and people refused free help that was not UNION! Help each other out and get your frickin fat palms out of my pants!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.