Editorial: Bridenstine says no, again, to storm victims
BY World's Editorials Writers
Thursday, January 17, 2013
1/17/13 at 7:08 AM
First District U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine is consistent. In his first vote in the House last week, he voted against the emergency flood aid for victims of superstorm Sandy, and he repeated that no vote Tuesday when the larger package came before the House.
Bridenstine was joined, again, by his new colleague from the 2nd District, Markwayne Mullin, in voting no. Despite their votes, both aid packages passed. The victims of Sandy have waited too long already for assistance.
Bridenstine and Mullin both said they voted no because there were no spending cuts to offset the supplemental appropriation. Bridenstine said he voted for an amendment to offset spending with savings in other areas. That amendment, however, failed forcing him to vote no on the final version.
Bridenstine said he feels great compassion for the storm victims, but ''increasing the national debt by over $60 billion, including previously approved relief measures, shows compassion to no one."
Well, no one but the victims of the storm.
His Oklahoma Republican colleague Tom Cole of the 4th District feels differently. Cole said that Oklahoma has benefited from federal disaster relief in the past and failing to support the Sandy aid would be hypocritical.
He's right: Oklahoma has been the beneficiary of relief following storms and droughts. He also pointed to the need to get one of the nation's most important economic regions back on its feet.
We hope this is not a pattern being established by Bridenstine. The American people have shown that they are tired of Washington gridlock and yearn for bipartisanship to solve this country's problems.
Bridenstine is right to do his best to help solve those problems. But ignoring victims of a disaster to make a point does not make compromise on any issue seem likely.
Original Print Headline: No, again
