Republican Peter King blasts Boehner on Wednesday for his own party's leadership after their decision not to vote on a Sandy relief measure. King had this to say about the matter:
"The GOP House leadership, has turned its back on those people who continue to suffer after the late October storm devastated parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut."
Following passage of the fiscal cliff deal on Jan. 1, the House did not take up a $60 billion measure that the Senate previously passed. Peter King stated members of the House leadership had promised him they would. He told CNN:
"There's some dysfunction in the Republican leadership. For some reason, the speaker is taking it out on New York, Long Island, and New Jersey."
King later said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor had previously worked with area representatives, and promised that the vote would happen prior to the new Congress being sworn in.
King also expressed that he had a gut feeling Republican leaders were trying to dodge him on Tuesday. King said he was virtually "chasing [Boehner] all over the House," before he left without letting King and other members know that there would be no vote for the relief measure. Word spread among staff members, and angered congressmen let their thoughts about the situation be known on the House floor on Wednesday.
Things escalated when Boehner yelled at a delegation member after he demanded a meeting to discuss the speaker's intentions.
In his interview after the drama unfolded, Peter King blasts Boehner and other republicans for using his state's money during fundraisers and then essentially turning their back. He said to CNN:
"These Republicans have no problem finding New York when they want money."
He also had some choice words for House Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. Hal Rogers.
"First, he doesn't know what he was talking about," King said in response to Rogers' point that FEMA had sufficient funding for at least two more months of relief effort, "and secondly, Hal Rogers has no problem coming to New York to raise money."
"Hal Rogers can play his game, he can suck up to the Republican speaker if he wants to, but he should stay out of New York," King continued. "Stay out of New York, Hal, raise your money down in Kentucky."
"There are a number of Republicans who may be able to kiss their seats goodbye because of what was done to them, not because of what they did, but what was done to them," he said. "Because the issue is if you can't provide the most basic assistance for your district, who needs you in Congress?
"I'm going to do what I have to do," King said, adding he is "independent minded" and felt as though his party had "written me off.
"I would say the Republican Party has said it is the party of family values. Last night it turned its back on the most essential value of all, and that is to provide food, shelter clothing, and relief for people who have been hit by a natural disaster. And I would say that the Republican Party has turned its back on those people."
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