Key Vote Alert – “NO” on Sandy Relief Bill (HR 152)

KEY VOTE ALERT

“NO” on Senate Fiscal Cliff Deal (HR 8)

The Club for Growth urges all members of the U.S. Senate to vote “NO” on the $50 billion Sandy relief bill (HR 152). Consideration on the Senate floor is expected as soon as today. If there is a vote on the package, it will be included in the Club for Growth’s 2013 congressional scorecard.

Instead of passing a pork-filled bill packed with non-emergency spending items, Congress should pass a disaster relief-only bill that is fully offset with spending cuts elsewhere and contains measures to ensure accountability over billions in taxpayer dollars.

As we have repeatedly said in previous key vote alerts, there are more responsible ways to pass disaster relief legislation. For starters, funds could be released in installments to make sure the resources are spent more wisely. They should also strip out all immaterial line items, and fully offset all expenditures with spending cuts elsewhere. Serious reform would also include a way for the states to take over the responsibility for future disaster relief funding so that accountability is more localized.

Our Congressional Scorecard for the 113th Congress provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies and will be distributed to our members and to the public.