No Runyon, no Smith???? Screaming at the top of their lungs or silent for half of the almost million people they represent. Http://www.boldtruth.com gives representation back to the people.

Tom, maybe you should take the time and read the bill. Most of the money isn't going to help and victims of Sandy. Its going to so many other places thanks to the Democrats and all the pork... Feel free to delete this comment too. Every since you took over for the Manchester Patch its really lagging.

Stupid goverment....THEY certainly are not suffering. They should ALL get a pay cut.....stop helping other countries and giving them handouts and help your own USA people!

Looks like the Shores getting hit twice, rubbing salt into their wounds

The $60 billion "disaster relief" bill is a pork laden pile of dung. It's one thing for Congress to draft actual assistance to storm victims it's another to craft theft and misappropriation of our money in such an egregious manner. Lautenberg should be ashamed of himself, that is if he's had a coherent thought recently. How about we weed out the worthless crap from this bill and make it an actual relief package instead of using it as yet another piece of Democrat demagoguery.

Remove all the pork from the bill and pass it!

As a follow up to my earlier comment about the pork infestation in this bill...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/sandy-aid-package-includes-millions-for-smithsonian-space-center-forests/

what the hell do you expect from government??? wait till all the unions hold out their hands.

Both parties should be ashamed of themselves!!! We have no problem sending billions overseas and forgetting about our needs!
The blame game is getting old....It's time people stood up and voted these long term senators out of office!!!

The damn bill is loaded with SPENDING NOT RELATED TO SANDY!!

Senate Republicans trying to cut pork from Hurricane Sandy bill ...
http://www.humanevents.com/2012/12/28/hudsonsenate-republicans-trying-to-cut-pork-from-hurricane-sandy-bill/ -
Senate Republicans are trying to chisel off wasteful spending attached to a $60 billion Hurricane Sandy emergency funding bill that included ...
Congress Accused of Sneaking Unrelated 'Pork' Spending into ...
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/congress-accused-of-sneaking-unrelated-pork-spending-into-sandy-emergency-aid-bill-its-typical-of-washington/ -

The Senate approved a $60.4 billion recovery package on Friday intended to help the states affected by Hurricane Sandy in November.
Congress Loading Sandy Aid Bill With Pork Projects - Before It's News
http://beforeitsnews.com/economics-and-politics/2012/12/congress-loading-sandy-aid-bill-with-pork-projects-150-mill-for-alaskan-fisheries-2448140.html - 25k - Cached -
One out of every $20 spent in a new bill to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy will go to “non-relief-related pork,” says American Majority Action ...
SANDY RELIEF BILL FILLED WITH $9 BILLION OF PORK « The ...
http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=46405 - 118k

. . . . Barack did manage to give himself and his govt buds a raise through EXECUTIVE ORDER. Time for a third Party. Rand Paul anyone??

If the recent antics of OUR government in action don't make you want to vomit, this is certainly the finger down the throat of every citizen of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut!

I invite Mr. Boehner and his ilk to stay in a fleabag motel for two months with four little kids, no transportation, no money, no food and no answers.

Thousands of AMERICANS are suffering. Does no one hear them?

Lautenberg did not even vote on the fiscal cliff deal. Where was he???

This bill was packed with political pork only $27 billion was for the recovery.

reality-only $20 million was going to Sandy relief, the rest was going to political pork like fixing the roof on the buildings in Washington, DC. Wake up America, read between the lines. Your elected politicians are ripping you off. Are you aware that all stealth aircraft are grounded because of oxygen breather malfunctions?

Disgrace

Well I Guess Its Time The People Start Speaking and Show Our Anger Toi These Idiots We Put In Office, They Need To Learn We Put Them There We Can Also Vote There Asses Out, I'm From New Jersey And I Lost All My Possesions To Sandy I'm Also On S.S. Disability And On A Fixed Income Of $15,000.00 Not Like These Morons In Office Who Only Care About Them Selves And Not The People. Its Time We As Americans Take Back Our Country. Get Rid Of Them All. I Got Nothing From F.E.M.A And Now Probably Will Never see Anything And Now Will Pay More Taxes Because Of Bohner And His Thieves In Washington. S.S Disability And Still Have To Pay $1600.00 In Taxes. Worked 38 Years Paying Now I Can't Still Have To Pay. Close The Borders forever And Stop suporting Ilegal aliens And Help Our Own. Fed Up Tax Payer And American

More-our Navy is down to just 60 serviceable craft and our army couldn't put 50,000 armed men in the field. We have less than 1500 flying aircraft. But our president is sending trillions to the Muslim countries like Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Pakistan for arms. And we are still waiting for the insurance companies to pay off for hurricane damages. Remember Obama and Christie saying aid will come soon? Liars!

Unbelievable. They can pass a tax increase at 11PM but can't vote on a package that's been on the table for 2 months. I don't know if betrayal is the word.

...and yet we keep voting these people into office, why? Because people vote for politicians who give them stuff. We get the government we deserve, my friends. They are nothing more than a reflection of our society at large. Anyone looking for something taken from someone else is guilty here, plain and simple.

How can people comment on the aid package without having an opportunity to read the details? Tonight's assignment is to read the bill and report back in the morning.

GET THIS DONE!! BUT ONLY FOR SANDY VICTIMS AND EVERY HOMEOWNER ON THE JERSEY SHORE WHO NEED TO REBUILD !!!!
THE MIDDLE CLASS NEEDS THIS DONE.
THE ONLY WAY IS TO VOTE THESE IDIOTS OUT OF OFFICE WHO DON'T GET THIS BILL PAST.

If it's not funding for Ozarkian hillbillies in the south or Fundamentalist Evangelical Christians from the mid west, Congress won't vote a dime. Northeasterneres should realize that they wield tons of power (and money). Use it to get rid of the clowns in these areas.

The Governor needs to get involved further!

I believe the "raise" was taken away as part of the deal. Anyway, that is what the newspaper indicated as I read. Perhaps incorrectly, not certain. I did watch the entire frustrating thing as it was going on and probably will never again torment myself through the jerk around they put us all through.
As Obama said in his statement after signing the deal last night. if the Republicans think that the government is not going to pay its debt it has another thing coming. He pretty much was addressing the omission of "Sandy". Check out the facts on the raises though. So much is thrown around and tempers flaired that I am certain the truth got lost with the shock of lack of funds for the Sandy victims.
Mr. Obama will have a lot of Dems running the House in a few days. He can get what he wants through them. And mount up whatever he wants in debt and leave the next President (Hey Christie you ready?) with the mess and debt. Just like Bush left Obama. I am pleased that Obama thought ahead for the Sandy vicitims since he had the unemployment extended one year. The extensions as put forth before the end of the year showed only up to the end of September as qualifying for extensions. This way the Sandy unemployed through disaster relief will be able to get some extensions past May or June which is more than likely when their regular 26 weeks would be up.

While I realize the need to get aid for the victims of Sandy, I have to admire the rarely seen fiscal responsibility of this move. If all of the unnecessary add-ons to every bill were taken out, maybe this country wouldn't be headed toward bankruptcy and our kids wouldn't be inheriting mountains of debt. Get rid of the fat and then pass the bill.

Why in hell do people blame the GOP for this? Read all the pork in this, and you will see why it was opposed. Tell me what money for a new roof on the Smithsonian, the study of fishery's in Alaska and several other things have to do with money to help people who were wiped out by this storm. If these thieves, (dem and rep) want this stuff to be taken care of, let them donate some of their bloated salaries to their causes. Most of the resentment to the health care fisasco was because of all the pork added to it, that had nothing to do w/health care, just another way to jam it to the taxpayers again. Nancy Pelosi's remark, "you have to pass the bill before you know what is in it." Or words similar to that, but again, the GOP are the bad guys. We are now stuck with it, and the govt. with all it's free give away programs is making it more profitable not to work, sit on your a**, collect the freebies, and blame the working taxpayers for not giving them enough. Now thy say that SS is a "entitlement." Entitlement?? I paid into it, and so did my employers, for many years. The greedy politicians saw a big cash cow, and stole the money for their projects. This could go on and on, sorry it's so long, but it just makes my blood boil when people blame the wrong people when their party make others scapegoats.

So let me get this straight Obama can pledge 400 million to the gaza strip see here.. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/obama-offers-abbas-400m-in-extra-aid-for-gaza-in-flotilla-aftermath-1.295093

But our own cities get nothing, why is it that we are starting charities for other countries yea I know they are suffering.. News Flash we are too, going down hill since the 70s.. Remember Detroit ? Its now a war zone sure we know about it but nothing gets done.. Jersey has been in decline for years but its all swept under the rug.. Frig Kony ... Teenagers in Newark, Camden and Trenton have had automatic weapons for years no one says anything about that..

I am shaking my head in disbelief, not only to Congress but to Scott Griffith that posted a hateful comment. You are not one of our fellow American's that grieve and help when there is a need. God help you if you find yourself in a stituation of need.

As usual, the devil is in the details, but I'd advise my fellow BGT residents to avoid reading anyone's spin, and instead go to the primary source -- read the bill.

Here is the appropriation bill which passed the Senate (62-32): http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1eas/pdf/BILLS-112hr1eas.pdf

Here's the roll call vote in the Senate: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00248

There's a lot in there. It appropriates funds for rebuilding storm damage, providing emergency assistance to families, assesses and repairs damage to underground storage tanks, replenishes fisheries, reviews the National Cemetery system for damages from the storm, puts money into repairing airports and roads, funds FEMA for the storm, pays for the Army Corps of Engineers to repair damage and review for future scenarios, gives money to the armed services for base review and repair, etc. Again, there's a lot in there.

I found it interesting that money is appropriated to repair or replace Customs and Border Protection's domestic nuclear detection devices damaged by the storm.

The president raises the money these incompetent and irresponsible idiots make for wasting our money on pork barrel projects yet will not vote for aid where it is desperately needed to help infrastructures and towns recover from a disaster every bit as bad as NewOrleans suffered? Maybe it is time the two party system was ended forever! we need at least one more group to prevent this focus on party power rather than what is best for the people!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/peter-king-sandy-aid_n_2396281.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Isn't it time to tell the truth about his issue?

Pass the Bill?
The Bill was never brought up for a vote. So for anyone who doesn't pay attention and only reads the headline, they're immediately being mis-led from the truth.

The reason this Bill didn't come to the floor for a vote is because more than half of the $60 MILLION proposed is BS. Only $29 million of it is slated to come to NJ and NY. The rest of it is being spent on capitol cronyism, being sent to places like Washington State for some fishery, and a lot of the money is nothing more than theft of all the people by being re-directed for aid to foreign countries! Is that what the people of NJ want? More wasteful spending? I think not. Let them bring this bill to the floor clean and free of waste and theft. If they are sending the entire 60 Mill to us, then so be it. If not just pass the bill with the 29 million and move on.

As for Frank Lautenberg, he's a disgusting old man who is tainted with years of cronyism. Does he even show up any more to vote on legislation? There is no excuse for Chris Smith and his comments. He knows the truth and is not being fully truthful. It is his responsibility to explain to the people why this wasn't brought up for a vote. The people better start taking responsibility of holding these politicians accountable for their deception of the truth.

Where is all the money that already came in? The red cross, United Way all MIA.

Of course they did. We only help all other countries in need, not our own. Jerks!!!
Can't wait till the old biddies are out of there. Mind you I am 47, but can't stand congress anymore. I would be ashamed if I were them.

Waiting for Jon Runyan to finally defend his constituents and their interests, rather than groveling for more Koch Brothers money.

http://politicaloutcast.com/2012/12/obamas-sandy-relief-bill-filled-with-pork-barrel-projects/#ixzz2GpnxAnOT

Any Republican who is creaming is because he didn't read the bill, any Democrat screaming is mad because his pork didn't get sneaked passed us Obviously Speaker Boehner is the only one who actually read the bill.

New Roof on the Smithsonian, New cars for Homeland Security, Funding for Fisheries in Mississippi and Alaska....Tell me what those has to do with the damage from Sandy in NJ, NY & CT.

Obama is trying to divide this nation and to do that he's starting with the GOP. What is wrong with you people?

Maybe what will get Congress' attention will be a full-blown MARCH ON WASHINGTON. Clearly, our politicians from throughout the New Jersey/ New York area are among the most powerful representatives in Congress. Perhaps they will join us. Post- Sandy Relief is job-one in here. We need to make BIG NOISE to get the government's attention, support and a real sense of urgency. If we just sit back and do nothing, we deserve to "... Inherit the Wind." Jersey Strong ... Let's prove it!!

"Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican who represents Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean County communities, told congressional members that they "must get us to the $60 billion that is desperately needed to assist families, businesses and municipalities devastated by Superstorm Sandy."

Apparenly there are a lot of people on this string who don't know that spending bills nearly always have a primary spening purpose or target and a bunch of secondary expenditures attached. Now that you know it, do you still think having the secondary purposes there is part of an Obama plan to divide the nation and then ruin the world? That Congress - Rs and Ds - are complicit in the evil Obama strategy given they are the ones who put the bill together?

It's BILLIONS people !!!!!!

I am tired of reading millions. You people don't even know what a BILLION really is. So I don't expect you to even understand 16 TRILLION.

Public indoctrination has been completed. The republic can now collapse.

Hey if they put it to a vote or even came back with a smaller amount getting rid of the pork I might be able to stomach them. However, Boehner pulled a Pelosi - shut the door and turned off the lights - just goes to show you how mature these people are. If they didn't like what was in the bill - stay fight it out - come up with another plan & send it back.
I Hope that the lights go out for Boehner - just like I wished on Pelosi! Grow up and represent us - fight it out if you need to - but do something!!

Hey if they put it to a vote or even came back with a smaller amount getting rid of the pork I might be able to stomach them. However, Boehner pulled a Pelosi - shut the door and turned off the lights - just goes to show you how mature these people are. If they didn't like what was in the bill - stay fight it out - come up with another plan & send it back.
I Hope that the lights go out for Boehner - just like I wished on Pelosi! Grow up and represent us - fight it out if you need to - but do something!!

ALL THE PORK HAD BEEN REMOVED BEFORE THIS BILL WAS TO COME UP FOR A VOTE LAST NIGHT...". ITS INDEFENSIBLE AND IMMORAL " QUOTE CONGRESSMAN STEVAN KING [R] NY

The bill is loaded with pork that has nothing to do with the storm. Christie is proving to be quite a statist, whining about help from Washington. In-case you did not notice both parties just gave us 620 billion in tax hikes with 5 billion in cuts and declared it a great bipartisan compromise? For who, not the average middle class taxpayer?
“The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out”
George Carlin

"The House Republicans have two choices: cut their losses and pass the deal now, or else put up a fight they cannot win and pass the same deal a few days now after being further humiliated," a Senate Democratic leadership aide said, according to the Hill newspaper.

A little glimpse into the shit hole that is DC. So fiscal conservatives have to bow down to Harry Reid, Barack Obama and the rest of the left. No discussion, no compromise. That's our government at work, folks. The next time I hear the word "bipartisan" I'm punching someone's lights out.

Why haven't we heard from the two conservative Republicans: Scott Garrett and Rodney Frelinghuysen. . .where's there outrage...much less there influence?

"You right-wing-nuts have to stop blaming the winning party and direct the blame where is belongs, the losers." Oh that's rich, Martin, spoken like a true partisan. Because a party wins an election, only the supremely ignorant think that means one party rule. Do you remember all the love, kindness and "bipartisan" support Republican "winners" got from Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy and all the others that have led the Democrats over the years? No, I don't either. No, I for one am all for a knock down, drag out battle with you guys. And there are millions of us who feel the same way. Because in the end, bankruptcy, a debased currency and financial ruin will determine the loser. Unfortunately by then everyone will have lost. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" has been the result of every liberal policy since Wilson. The misfortunes of many people due to this storm should not be used by seedy politicians as a goodie bag for them to distribute their stuff. This is corruption, in the guise of caring. Something you Dems have gotten very, very good at over the decades.

This bill will be passed eventually- BUT, I will never vote republican again for as long as I live!

IF I MADE THIS CALL , LIKE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DID I WOULD OF LOST MY JOB TODAY. THE LAW'S HAVE TO CHANGE FOR OUR LIVES AND OUR CHILDRENS LIVES GET BETTER

Obama your words were walking and talking to people on the Jersey Shore after Sandy.." your not alone we will get you help"..Remember Christie got yo re-elected with that walk..now follow up with your promise...Its both parties that suck right now..

This is a no brainier, we can bail out everybody, how about helping those that lost everything. Washington Politics as usual.

I guess we'll just scream and yell for a couple of weeks and then in November elect them all over again. When will we all wake up and MAKE THEM have term limits!!! We need NEW blood in both the Senate and House on the national level and all the way down to the freeholders in our state. We have had the same people in there for too long.

The bill the Democrats proposed was full of pork and special favors that had nothing to do with helping victims of hurricane Sandy. Looks at the money spent after 911 and hurricane Katrina -- most of it went to people who were NOT victims of these events. I wouldn't give a penny to anything Lautenberg (who by the way is a billionaire) condones.

And what happens when you buy off seven Republican senators with a package of goodies under the guise of storm relief supposedly meant to benefit two blue states?

You get yourself a filibuster proof piece of legislation.

Alabama, Texas, Lousiana and Mississippi. What do they all have in common - They are all RED STATES with Republican Senators. None of them rushed to take out the pork. They went with it.

GOOD NEWS!!! "Hurricane Sandy Aid Bill Passes House." Nuff said ... Let's get on with the recovery. There'sl lots of hard work ahead. so let's keep the rhetoric down to a whisper.