When Ron DeSantis entered Congress, he joined the Freedom Caucus, the considerably-proper customers of the Home. His incredibly first vote was in opposition to help for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which pummeled New York Metropolis and the New Jersey coastline.
The New York Occasions observed:
As a freshman congressman in 2013, Ron DeSantis was unambiguous: A federal bailout for the New York location right after Hurricane Sandy was an irresponsible boondoggle, a symbol of the “put it on the credit card mentality” he experienced arrive to Washington to oppose.
But any hurricane that harmed a Purple point out bought his vote. 4 a long time just after opposing federal support for Sandy reduction, he supported help for victims of Hurricane Irma, which influenced his have state.
The Washington Publish wrote about GOP hypocrisy on hurricane relief. When a hurricane hits a Red condition, they are for it. In the exceptional occasion when the catastrophe is in a Blue point out, not so considerably.
The GOP movement to problem paying out on disaster reduction started to pick up amid the discussion about Hurricane Katrina help in 2005. Only 11 Dwelling Republicans voted towards the $50 billion-furthermore package, but other individuals cautioned that they’d be drawing a more durable line moving forward, notably if the spending wasn’t offset with cuts elsewhere.
“Congress have to guarantee that a disaster of character does not turn out to be a disaster of personal debt for our young children and grandchildren,” said future vice president Mike Pence, then a congressman from Indiana.
Just after the tea bash motion took hold all over 2010, customers commenced to hold that line. A $9.7 billion flood aid bill for Hurricane Sandy was regarded as noncontroversial, even passing by voice vote in the Senate. But 67 Home Republicans voted versus it, which includes DeSantis.
Then came a much larger, $50 billion Sandy monthly bill. Fully 36 Senate Republicans voted against it, as did 179 House Republicans — the huge the greater part of GOP contingents in the two chambers (once more which includes DeSantis). They objected not just because the investing was not offset, but since they viewed it as too large and not adequately specific in scope or timing to actually represent hurricane reduction.
By the time 2017 rolled all over, nevertheless, DeSantis was not the only one particular who did not appear to be holding as really hard a line. Irrespective of the invoice missing such paying out offsets, the GOP “no” votes on a $36.5 billion help invoice for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria numbered only 17 in the Senate and 69 in the Home.
These kinds of votes demonstrate how malleable these types of principled stands can be, based on the place catastrophe strikes.
For occasion, only three of 18 Dwelling Republicans from Florida voted for the greater Sandy monthly bill, but each individual one particular of them voted for the 2017 invoice that incorporated aid for their dwelling point out.
Also, of the 49 House GOP “yes” votes on the bigger Sandy monthly bill, virtually 50 % came from states that were being straight impacted, together with every Republican from New York and New Jersey.
One of those people New Jersey Republicans was Rep. Scott Garrett, who basically launched the more compact Sandy invoice. Just eight years prior to, he experienced been 1 of individuals 11 Republicans who voted towards the Katrina deal.
If you comb by means of all of these votes, you will discover that, the larger Sandy bill apart, lawmakers who appear from states that are particularly susceptible to hurricanes (i.e. along the Gulf Coastline) are generally significantly less probable to be amongst the challenging-liners — maybe owing to the reality that they know their states could be following in line.
That’s exactly where DeSantis’s votes do stand out. On the to start with Sandy monthly bill, he was a person of just two Florida Republicans to vote no, and incredibly several members from the Gulf Coast joined them.
It’s a stand that served observe of his intent to legislate as a tea bash conservative he forged the vote just a day soon after being sworn in to Congress.
Democrats never appear to have the same trouble. They ordinarily aid disaster aid, even in Purple states.
It is also noteworthy that DeSantis has switched gears in addressing President Biden, whom he usually refers to as “Brandon” (a rightwing synonym for “F… you, Biden”). Now, for the minute, he phone calls him “Mr.President.” And he can be sure that Democratic President Biden will react with federal support for the victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida.
Politifact reviews how DeSantis and Rubio voted on hurricane relief.
