Nan Hayworth taking cue from Cantor want to hold back disaster funds... [View All]

[Historic NY]

Only days after a record-setting storm destroyed her district, Rep. Nan Hayworth and her House colleagues threatened to withhold disaster money if lawmakers don't cut additional spending from the federal budget.<snip>

Hayworth's stance was met with sharp criticism from those inside and outside her party.

U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, said he favors an emergency spending bill to shore up FEMA's coffers.

"We cannot afford to play political games with this emergency," Hinchey said.

Local officials worried a prolonged argument about how to fund FEMA could stall money to help them pay for crumbled roads and broken bridges.

New Windsor Supervisor George Green, a conservative Republican, warned he'll need federal help to repair a road that was completely wiped out in the Butterhill subdivision. Hayworth toured damage in New Windsor earlier this week, and Green said his congresswoman better not let the town's devastation become the rope in a political tug of war.


"People have to come first," Green said. "Don't tell me that you have to take money from another part of the budget to balance out FEMA money when you're talking about people who've lost sewer and water, and people who've lost their goddamn houses."


http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110901/NEWS/109010338