GOP Lawmakers Offer Disaster Victims Prayers, But Not Aid

Republican Lawmakers Offer Disaster Victims Prayers, But Not Federal Aid

WASHINGTON -- Republican lawmakers have been quick to rush to the assistance of disaster victims with that priceless commodity, prayer, but when it comes to tangible assets, they've been a bit less spirited.

An email circulated by the office of Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Tex.) and obtained by The Huffington Post asked lawmakers to co-sponsor H. Res 254, a straightforward measure encouraging Congress and the American public to pray for the victims of the recent disasters in the United States.

From the email sent out to congressional offices on Tuesday:

Severe tornadoes and record amounts of flooding in the South, Southeast, and lower Midwest have taken hundreds of lives and caused thousands of injuries. Property damage could reach into the billions of dollars, uprooting entire communities throughout the region.

The Southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, and Southwest have been experiencing the worst drought conditions in decades, leading to wildfires that have burned more than 2.2 million acres and caused massive losses in agricultural production. These wildfires have resulted in deaths, the destruction of homes and business, and severe financial hardship.

Many communities have been devastated by these disasters, but have maintained a spirit of resiliency, hope, and faith. It is only appropriate that Congress and the American people come together in prayer for the victims of the disasters and their families, and for the fair weather conditions that these regions desperately need.

The message was signed by Neugebauer, as well as Reps. Stevan Pearce (R-N.M.) and Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.).

All three lawmakers voted for the House FY 2011 continuing resolution, which included significant cuts to funding for the federal response to weather, climate and natural disasters (The cuts were no longer in the bill by the time it went through the Senate and was signed by the President).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/1 ... 60628.html


Dang, I love "compassionate conservatism"... I could sit and watch it for hours... "Coming together in prayer" for the victims. How thoughtful... Are they sure they can spare it?

And yet I feel obliged to withhold my approval of the plan as proposed by this bill, to indulge a benevolent and charitable sentiment through the appropriation of public funds for that purpose.

I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadfastly resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the government, the government should not support the people.

The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow-citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.

Grover Cleveland - 1887

Well, calling for prayer is nice and all, and yes, I understand those who espouse the "Grover Cleveland" theory of non-interference, but don't you think it would have been nice if along with calling for prayer, they had ALSO called for people to DONATE to the victims?

Well, no doubt, the disaster victims were in that lower 25% quartile, and were probably on "social welfare support whether it is Section 8 housing, Medicaid, SSDI, child care subsidies, food stamps or another program" So, they didn't deserve any support anyway....Right, PS?

Have those of you on the Left ever heard of home owners and renters insurance and the Red Cross, let alone other charitable organizations?

Yes...And we've heard of FEMA too...

HEARTLESS wrote: Have those of you on the Left ever heard of home owners and renters insurance and the Red Cross, let alone other charitable organizations?

You might want to check to see if your own homeowners insurance would cover you if your house flooded.

This is a 500 year flood, most of the people affected almost certainly don't have flood insurance.

And again, I ask, the Right is always talking about how charity should take care of people in distress, so why didn't they call for people to donate to charities helping out the victims?

If the state governors have declared a disaster and have requested federal help, then yes FEMA will get involved.

At 9,400 ft elevation I would need a Biblical flood, not a 500 year flood.

Whether they deserve the charity of their fellow citizens in their own state or the citizens of another sovereign state is up to the individual person, not the federated government, to decide LJ. That's the point. I am certain that the vast majority of them are deserving of that charity, just as I am certain that their plight will be addressed by the indulgence of the kindly sentiment and conduct of the citizens of the states which belong to the union, the citizens of their state who have not been impacted by the events and the government of their own state.

In 1887 the people in Texas that the appropriation bill sought relief for ended up realizing far more in aid than the bill sought to obtain. That was because people were not of the mindset that they paid taxes to the federated government to take care of such things. We can reduce the federal budget and the federal tax burden and rekindle that expression of common brotherhood, or we can continue to dig the deficit hole ever deeper by continuing to tell ourselves that is what we pay taxes for. I think the first option is the better one.