Hicks column: S.C. congressmen should be careful playing politics with disaster relief
It was heartwarming to see South Carolina’s congressmen suddenly develop empathy, if only for a moment.
Well, almost two days.
Last week, our guys said “Of course we’ll send aid to Texas.” But on Friday, Mark Sanford, Jeff Duncan and Ralph Norman voted against a $15.25 billion aid package for waterlogged, Hurricane Harvey-ravaged Texas. As did Sen. Lindsey Graham.
They were upset because the Harvey aid was tied to a 90-day increase in the nation’s debt ceiling — a deal concocted by Democrats and President Trump. And our guys took it out on people who were just jackhammered by a hurricane.
They should have followed the lead of Congressman Trey Gowdy, who called the move irresponsible but ultimately took the high road.
“I refuse to punish my fellow citizens who are in desperate need of help,” Gowdy said. “Just as our fellow South Carolinians suffered in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo and may well suffer from Hurricane Irma, our fellow citizens are suffering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey.”
He’s right.
So, basically, there are a few guys who’d better hope fickle Irma doesn’t change her mind and come roaring into South Carolina this week.
Because in the past five years, the honorable representatives of our disaster-prone state have voted against hurricane aid — twice.
And paybacks could be hell.
Pork or planning?
After superstorm Sandy ravaged the Northeast in 2012, most of South Carolina’s congressmen voted against federal aid.
It seemed ungrateful, given Washington’s help during Hugo, et al. And shortsighted, given our prominent address on hurricane alley.
But they said no, claimed the package was laden with pork. That’s a fallacy that has been debunked repeatedly — most recently by factcheck.org. They re-analyzed the legislation after Texas congressmen started doing the two-step over their past votes.
Truth is, the Sandy money that didn’t go directly to clean-up and rebuilding was earmarked to strengthen infrastructure, rebuild housing and prepare for the next storm in that area.
Which is smart, because there’s always a next storm.
Some of these folks conveniently forget that, until it happens to them. Which it did just last year. And our guys had to go, hat in hand, asking for federal money after Hurricane Matthew flooded the state.
Congress could have been vindictive, but chose not to punish South Carolina residents for the hypocrisy of their congressmen. Just as they overwhelmingly voted to bail out Texas — even though a bunch of those guys voted against Sandy relief, too.
Sanford and Graham say it’s wrong to tie the debt ceiling to hurricane relief. Which is a fair point.
“If an emergency is an emergency, then it’s an emergency. It should be treated as such,” Sanford said. “What this proposal did was to deny conservatives what they had asked for, which was the inclusion of some sort of spending reduction measure in exchange for their vote to increase the debt ceiling.”
Yeah, but does anyone sitting in a shelter in Texas, or Florida, or South Carolina, care right now?
Same time, next year
Yes, the gang that couldn’t shoot straight got outfoxed. Again.
They have the temerity to be upset that Democrats held them hostage on hurricane relief, robbing them of the chance to hold the country’s credit rating hostage for their own purposes.
Boo-hoo, who cares? Like the debt ceiling fight hasn’t been going on for years, and won’t continue for a long time.
Sen. Tim Scott is a pretty principled guy, but he didn’t vote against aid for millions of people just to play endless parlor games. Perhaps that’s because he’s from North Charleston, lived through Hugo, and knows this isn’t the time.
“There were so many folks who lost everything, and as they begin to recover and rebuild, our priority should be to support them as they get back on their feet,” Scott said.
He’s absolutely right.
Sure, the Democrats and Trump shouldn’t have injected politics into the Harvey relief package. Just like the Republicans shouldn’t have pulled the same stunt over Sandy. Which is exactly what it was.
And it was a particularly shortsighted stunt for South Carolina’s congressmen. Because for all the storms that hit the Northeast and Texas, there are far more natural disasters that befall the Palmetto State. Some day, this inability to play well with others may be noticed. And it will be a problem.
Because there’s always another storm.
