Republican Disarray Impedes Sandy Relief

Fractures among Republicans, particularly Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor, have gotten in the way of a prompt response to and relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Republican aides said that after the fiscal cliff vote, in which Speaker John Boehner saw 151 Republicans break with him — including Cantor — in large part because it did not include spending cuts, attempting to push the bill forward was simply a bridge too far. Boehner could barely muster 85 Republicans for an extension of the Bush tax cuts because it didn’t include spending cuts, and the idea of expanding spending for the north east was simply not something his conference was willing to accept.

“The Speaker made the decision not to proceed this Congress,” a Republican leadership aide confirmed Wednesday.

But Boehner’s office said the delay is only temporary.

“The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.