Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe, Tom Coburn, Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief

[Tx4obama]

Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe, Tom Coburn, Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief

WASHINGTON -- As frantic rescue missions continued Monday in Oklahoma following the catastrophic tornadoes that ripped through the state, it appeared increasingly likely that residents who lost homes and businesses would turn to the federal government for emergency disaster aid. That could put the state's two Republican senators in an awkward position.

Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, both Republicans, are fiscal hawks who have repeatedly voted against funding disaster aid for other parts of the country. They also have opposed increased funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers federal disaster relief.

Late last year, Inhofe and Coburn both backed a plan to slash disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy. In a December press release, Coburn complained that the Sandy Relief bill contained "wasteful spending," and identified a series of items he objected to, including "$12.9 billion for future disaster mitigation activities and studies."

Coburn spokesman John Hart on Monday evening confirmed that the senator will seek to ensure that any additional funding for tornado disaster relief in Oklahoma be offset by cuts to federal spending elsewhere in the budget. "That's always been his position [to offset disaster aid]," Hart said. "He supported offsets to the bill funding the OKC bombing recovery effort." Those offsets were achieved in 1995 by tapping federal funds that had not yet been appropriated.

In 2011, both senators opposed legislation that would have granted necessary funding for FEMA when the agency was set to run out of money. Sending the funds to FEMA would have been "unconscionable," Coburn said at the time.

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/oklahoma-senators-disaster-relief_n_3309234.html

[Purveyor]

1. I knew this was coming...'right on que', but at least...couldn't we wait for the final body count

before making this 'political'?

I supposed not around this joint.

Good job Tx4, you never disappoint..."Good Reads", at that.

But seriously, couldn't you find a way to make this LBN?

[Purveyor]

3. Related: Using "them" as an excuse to post cold heartless shit doesn't excuse your cold heartlessn

I'm seeing a hell of a lot of posters patting themselves on the back for having the correct politics, and the bodies haven't even been found yet. The ONLY people I've encountered who are politicizing The Moore Tornadoes of 5-20-2013 are right here at DU.

You go ahead and keep patting yourselves on the back while you let your politics get ahead of your compassion. It says a lot about you.

THERE IS A POST stating they should be left to deal with this on their own because they elected their representatives. Puke.

MORE...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022874110

[Bjorn Against]

6. The OP was a news article with relevant facts

I certainly did not see the OP patting himself on the back, he just posted a news article that happens to have some important info in it.

[avebury]

29. I live in Oklahoma and we do have idiots, both in Washington and

in the State Legislature. And you would not even begin to believe that crap that they try to legislate (and still get voted into office). Rep. Tom Cole voted for the Hurricane Sandy disaster funding because he knew that Oklahoma was only one tornado away from a disaster situation. He is one of the rare voices of reason (on this issue).

I really feel for the victims of yesterday's tornado (as well as the Shawnee tornado on Sunday) but part of me does think that Oklahoma should be left to deal with this disaster on its own. It is hypocritical of people to constantly rant about big government, Washington and Obama and then expect a handout when things get really bad. If people are going to be so anti-Washington and the Federal Government, let them face the consequences of those beliefs. Until this state hits total rock bottom there will never be any hope of things getting better.

People who think like this are not pukes. It is called tough love.

[Tx4obama]

5. Hey, we are all hurting for the victims, upset and sad. But does that mean we should stop posting

... articles that are related?

Probably there will not be a 'final body count' for over a week if not more.
All those houses that are completely gone must have had some folks in them that have disappeared.

I am sorry that you're upset that I did not wait to post the OP article until next week or whenever.

I'm sure there will be many more articles coming out on the net regarding Coburn and Inhofe - maybe folks should just turn off their computers.

[Purveyor]

7. Yeah...you really appear to be 'hurting' with this political POS you post in 'Good Reads'.

Carry on...

[Tx4obama]

9. It's an F'ing article. Good Reads does NOT mean 'good news'. GR is for articles and OP-eds

What they hell do you know about how I feel?

I've donated to the Red Cross this evening. That's about all I can do at the moment from down here in Houston.

If you don't like the thread you can use your 'trash' button.

Goodnight.

[Purveyor]

10. You posted this in "good reads" not I. "Good Reads"...this article, seriously? eom

[Cha]

15. I'm not even going to address that poster

who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. In the spirit of.. he's obviously hurting to the point of lashing out at anyone.

Like you said, Tx.. We're all hurting and I thank you for posting this news about coburn and inhofe.

Yeah, too bad we don't have a "bad reads".

[jeff47]

11. Well, waiting to talk about the politics has failed for decades.

And Republicans were thrilled to talk about the politics immediately after Sandy. I fail to see how waiting accomplishes anything except making you feel superior.

[Cha]

16. +1

[DCKit]

22. +2

Shock Doctrine and Disaster Capitalism... until it hits home.

Inhoffe and Coburn only care about getting re-elected. Now they've got to beg for money that they wouldn't have given to any other area of the country. Fuck those fuckers. We'll do it despite them.

It's the hypocrisy, nobody here is crowing about it. Another 20+ kids dead? We're heartbroken. This constant killing of kids is giving me PTSD.

[matt819]

12. The OP was not political

It was just a snip from a HuffPo article. Tx4O made no comment. Indeed, if any comment should be made, it's that these Republican legislators fundamentally don't give a damn about ordinary people, whether they are Hurricane Sandy victims or victims of today's hurricane. Further, they will blame the failure to find funding with offsets to other federal spending squarely on the shoulders of Democrats. That's not political; that's reality. And, in any case, TX4O didn't make that comment.

[Bjorn Against]

2. If they try to play politics with this people are going to be pissed

When the state is offered assistance they need to take that assistance, you don't demand further sacrifices from the people who are helping you. To demand budget cuts elsewhere as a condition of accepting aid is just plain stupid.

[jeff47]

13. Remember Sandy?

'cause lots of Republicans played lots of politics after that storm. And they were rewarded by their voters.

[Bjorn Against]

18. None of the Senators of states hit by Sandy demanded cuts from others as a condition for taking aid

It is really tacky for a Senator to refuse disaster aid for their state unless people from other states take cuts, as far as I know it has not even been done before.

[jeff47]

19. No, but the Oklahoma senators demanded cuts for Sandy aid.

And:

It is really tacky for a Senator to refuse disaster aid for their state unless people from other states take cuts, as far as I know it has not even been done before.

Coburn's office released a statement saying he wants cuts elsewhere to offset aid for this tornado.

[Bjorn Against]

20. Yes, I realize that

Now that he is in the situation of asking for aid he needs to take the aid, a Senator's job is to work for his constituents and his constituents desperately need aid right now. Coburn should be fighting for every penny he can get, he should not be yelling that he will only take the money if people from other states sacrifice.

[matt819]

14. What will be interesting

is whether the governor of OK will refuse federal aid on the same grounds that other Republican governors refused stimulus funding or funding for Medicaid.

[flamingdem]

4. Here we go again

oy vey

[BeyondGeography]

8. Simply put, the two gentlemen from Oklahoma can go fuck themselves

[MannyGoldstein]

17. How @#$%ing stupid is it to be against aid for natural disasters if you're from OK?

Did they think they wouldn't need it themselves shortly? Really?

These people are just stupid.

[napi21]

21. As soon as I read those two names, I knew there would be trouble!

Their idiots on almost every issue, andsuddenly the issue is their state! To demand that other people sacrifice , EVEN MORE than they have already wiwth this sequester, because there was a disaster in OK is even woprse than their usual reaction. I believe they'll be out voted in the Senate when this bill comes up for a vote, and I surely hope the people of their State remember how they reacted when there was real need to their constituents.

[niyad]

23. difficult positions? seppuku would be nice.

[Katie]

24. Inhofe and Coburn should be embarrassed to show their faces after they delayed Sandy aid for 3 month

Tristate area had to wait three months before we could get funding "approved" by these jokers and their party. And it wasn't just Sandy relief they wanted to cut but have repeatedly voted against funding disaster aid for other parts of the country. They also have opposed increased funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), relief. What if they had succeeded? Who would be there to help their state now? That's something voters should be asking themselves.

People are going to be asking where do these two get the nerve ,after what they have done, it's a normal question to ask given the hypocrisy.

My heart goes out to the citizens of Oklahoma, especially the loss of all those children. I hope they get whatever help they need.

[ErikJ]

25. Please tell us when it is OK to express our outrage!

[truebluegreen]

26. Since it seems Inhofe and Coburn are going to insist on corresponding cuts

to offset any disaster relief, I trust that money will come from funds already earmarked for Oklahoma....

Maybe enough of their voters will finally realize who, and what, they are voting for.

[graham4anything]

27. the clearest way to insure the people of Oklahoma are helped longterm

is to make sure Oklahoma turns blue in 2016
and the two senators are voted out of office

as they don't believe in climate change, both are unfit to serve any people at all.

Good article tx4obama.

[avebury]

30. I wish but I wouldn't hold my breath.

This state is not ready to turn blue. It continues to turn to red so that the Democrats are now totally ineffectual in the State Legislature. The Republicans have total power to push whatever wacko agenda they want.

[bigdarryl]

28. Just goes to show the LORD has a way of

Telling these budget hawks there wrong.We are going to see a lot of disaster aid this year with the up coming hurrican season I have a feeling this year's weather is going to be BRUTAL!!!

[tularetom]

31. It'd be very simple to accommodate them - no more crop subsidies for OK farmers

Immediate closure of all military bases in the state, suspension of all transportation monies directed there.

Let these two miserable pricks decide which of their constituents they want to fuck over, and let them explain why.

If Cohofe and Imburn have their way somebody somewhere is going to suffer the loss of federal spending in order that relief funding can be provided for tornado victims. Why should it be anybody besides the people who elected them.

(And yes, I realize that some of the people who would be deprived of these federal dollars are tornado vicitms themselves. That's why this whole post is )