Robert O'Dowd: Superstorm Sandy Victims Left in a Lurch!

Despite promises, decisions made not to allow a vote for aid to Super-storm Sandy victims. Speaker John Boehner of Ohio reneged on his promise to allow a vote on aid to victims of Super-storm Sandy, according to an irate Representative Peter King, R-NY. Northeast lawmakers learned late Tuesday night that the House Republican leadership decided to not allow a vote to aid to Super-storm Sandy victims. The Associated Press reported that Republican Peter King, R-NY, said he was told by the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had decided to abandon a vote this session. Cantor, who sets the House schedule, did not immediately comment. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that just before Tuesday evening's vote on "fiscal cliff" legislation, Canter told him that he was "99.9 percent confident that this bill would be on the floor, and that's what he wanted." A spokesman for Boehner, Michael Steel said, "The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month." In remarks on the House floor,, King called the decision "absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities." The Senate approved a $60.4 billion measure Friday, to help with recovery from the October storm, that devastated parts of New York, New Jersey and nearby states. The House Appropriations Committee has drafted a smaller, $27 billion measure, and a vote had been expected before Congress' term ends Thursday at noon. More than $2 billion in federal funds has been spent so far on relief efforts for 11 states, and the District of Columbia struck by the storm, one of the worst ever to hit the Northeast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund still has about $4.3 billion, enough to pay for recovery efforts into early spring, according to officials. The unspent FEMA money can only be used for emergency services, said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-NJ. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are receiving federal aid.