This Would Be a Good Time to Remember That Romney Wants to Cut Disaster Relief from the Federal Budget Because It's 'Immoral'
As many on the East Coast prepare for whatever wreck and ruin Sandy has in store, wouldn't it be nice to know that the government too is preparing to provide relief to those most affected by the aftermath? Which is why it might be useful to know that under Romney/Ryan, the answer to that question would be "absolutely" nothing.
That's what Romney told CNN's John King last year in response to a primary debate question about dismantling FEMA and handing the responsibility of emergency management over to the states.
"Absolutely," Romney said. "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that's even better."
Romney went on to say that balancing the budget shouldn't be about "what we should cut," but rather" "what should we keep." When King asked if that included disaster relief, Romney responded affirmatively.
"We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids," Romney replied. "It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids, knowing full well that we'll all be dead and gone before it's paid off. It makes no sense at all."
ThinkProgress points out that Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, wants the government to offset any disaster relief funding with a budget cut — a proposal that was unpopular even among Republicans.
Asked where the Romney/Ryan ticket stands today, an official told The Huffington Post "Gov. Romney wants to ensure states, who are the first responders and are in the best position to aid impacted individuals and communities, have the resources and assistance they need to cope with natural disasters."
I feel safer already.
