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

[Beacool]

1. Screw them both, but help the people of OK.

Two much suffering right now.

[Rosco T.]

2. It's being reported that Colburn demands cuts

to pay for any relief efforts.

Worthless piece of filth

[Tx4obama]

3. That's why it's important for us all to call all the congresspeeps ASAP and tell them NO cuts!!! n/t

[davidpdx]

11. I agree, this is a reasonable measure versus opposing relief

I hope if any "disaster mitigation" studies are put in Congress would also vote no.

[Cha]

4. What an Idiot. Idiot enough to be the leaker

to Karl?

Does he have a conscience? I think he likes to throw words around that he doesn't know what they mean.

[Arkana]

5. I wonder if there's any recourse via executive action.

Would be awesome to see Obama go over their fat heads directly to the state government of Oklahoma. Mary Fallin may be a scumbag, but I'm willing to bet she'd take government aid in a heartbeat.

[Tx4obama]

8. Initial funding from FEMA etc, isn't the problem - that can be allocated, it's the additional funds

... that have to be voted on by Congress.

[Justice]

6. What specifically were the wasteful spending items in the Sandy bill?

Coburn said:

- $12.9 billion for future disaster mitigation activities and studies. (not saying I agree, just that Coburn identified this as wasteful)



What else did Coburn identify as wasteful spending?

[Tx4obama]

7. Other things the GOP objected to was fixing roofs and roads damage caused by Sandy

See article here: http://www.salon.com/2013/05/21/inhofe_and_coburn_red_state_hypocrites/

and another article here: http://www.salon.com/2013/05/21/oklahoma_senator_tornado_aid_totally_different_from_sandy_aid/

[Matariki]

9. Let me guess, they'll let folks rely on 'church donations'.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Then these Senators should donate their salaries to the families of OKlahoma

if they are so worried about the budget betwwen them they should have millions to donate. They could ask Mitt Romney for some of his treasures in the cayman Islands.