As he toured some of the damage left by Hurricane Irene, U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal vowed to prevent disaster relief money from being “held hostage” by Republicans in Congress.
He made the comments in response to a call by Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for money allocated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must be offset by spending cuts elsewhere.
Blumenthal said he has already begun talking to his colleagues in the Senate to block Cantor’s efforts.
“There’s nothing Republican or Democrat about the crisis facing New Haven. It needs money now,” Blumenthal said.
Click the play arrow above to hear his remarks.
The senator visited town Wednesday afternoon to tour some of the spots affected by Hurricane Irene’s passage through the city Sunday. Although the storm caused flooding and minor property damage in several neighborhoods, New Haven escaped the fate of nearby East Haven and Branford, where homes were severely damaged or even swept out to sea.
On Monday, Mayor John DeStefano predicted Irene’s cost to the city would top $1 million. City spokesman Adam Joseph said Wednesday the city is still working on determining the final number. “FEMA officials were on the ground today giving us guidance in making estimates,” he said.
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Blumenthal stopped first at the Motiva Terminal on Connecticut Avenue in the port district. It’s one of several facilities used for gas and diesel distribution in the port.
Flooding at Motiva caused delays in fuel delivery to the pumps, Assistant Fire Chief Pat Egan told Blumenthal.
While that flooding has receded, the city still had 5,000 households without power Wednesday afternoon, Egan said.
That means small businesses are suffering, Blumenthal said. “We’re pressing the power companies to restore power,” Blumenthal said. “It should be done more quickly.”
Blumenthal said restoring power is the top priority, along with “pressing FEMA for reimbursement” for storm clean-up. The entire Connecticut delegation is going to be working on “the FEMA issue,” Blumenthal said.
The senator hopped into his black hybrid SUV and drove down Long Wharf Drive to the City Point neighborhood, where he spoke with Steven Pynn, the principal of the Sound School, the city’s maritime-themed themed magnet school.
“We feel grateful we still have buildings,” he said.
The worst damage was to the school’s winch house (pictured), which houses machinery to pull boats in to shore. The small garage-like building was lifted entirely off its foundation and will have to be torn down, Pynn said.
In response to a question from Blumenthal about student anxiety, Pynn said students have only been anxious to help. Facebook was buzzing with students wanting to come down and pitch in, he said. “We had to close that off or we would have had hundreds of students down here.”
Hurricane impact on a seaside school is “part of the learning experience,” Pynn said. “A maritime school — this is what happens.”
After taking a look at a deck that had separated from a Sound School building (pictured), Blumenthal paused again to speak about FEMA funding, before leaving town.
“There is no excuse for failing to provide the funding that FEMA and other states need,” he said. “I’m going to be fighting for fair and full funding for Connecticut’s needs.”
FEMA relief “should not be made hostage” to a budget debate, he said. Relief funds should be “put aside” from discussion of budget cuts, he said.
Blumenthal and Egan and a broken umbrella.
Steve Benen - Washington Monthly...right on target...
"As far as Eric Cantor is concerned, launching wars in Iraq and Afghanistan do not need to be paid for. Tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires do not need to be paid for. Bailing out Wall Street does not need to be paid for. But when American communities are struck by a natural disaster, all of a sudden, House Republicans discover a new standard: if Democrats want to help affected areas, the GOP has some demands that must be met."