SenatorSanders

A Dangerous Precedent for Disaster Relief The Senate planned a Monday evening vote on legislation that includes desperately-needed funds to help Vermont recover from the devastation caused in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy told a press conference before boarding a flight to Washington that they would continue to oppose a misguided House Republican plan that demands unprecedented spending cuts to offset disaster relief. "What is happening now is wrong. It's unprecedented and I speak for the whole delegation. We're in agreement that we're going to do everything we can to get the necessary funds to rebuild our communities and do it in a way that makes America proud," Sanders said. "What these people are proposing is a precedent which says God forbid there is an earthquake in California next month and it requires billions of dollars of reconstruction aid, we're going to have then - under their mentality - a debate over whether we cut education or health care or the environment in order to fund disaster relief for California. Can you imagine that as a precedent?" From: SenatorSanders Views: 1167 52 ratings Time: 01:10 More in News & Politics