Outrage continues as word spreads that the House of Representatives will not vote on Sandy Relief. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, pulled the bill back from a vote that was expected Wednesday.
Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, lent his voice to the chorus of officials decrying Congress' inaction. A member of New York State Senate’s Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery, Martins blasted the inablity of the House to bring to a vote the $60 billion Superstorm Sandy disaster aid bill that had already been approved by the Senate.
“There are people living without heat, running water and electricity during the coldest days of the winter and the House of Representatives adjourns without approving the aid. Shame on them,” Martins said, in a statement.
“It’s an embarrassment and a disgrace," he added. "There are people struggling from the effects of a devastating storm. To just go home without even a vote is inexcusable.”
Martins joins leaders that include Rep. Peter King, R-Seaford, and President Barak Obama, decrying the House's failure to vote on the package.
Rep. Peter King, R-Seaford, the congressman who is primarily pushing for the emergency aid package, called the move "indefensible."
"The Republican Party has said it's the party of 'family values,'" King told CNN. "Last night, it turned its back on the most essential value of all, and that's to provide food, shelter, clothing and relief for people who have been hit by a natural disaster."
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel, said the speaker is “committed to getting the bill passed this month,” according to the Associated Press.
Ryan Bonner and Joseph Kellard contributed to this report.
