Alex Koppelman at the New Yorker writes that the reason House Republicans are having trouble with the relief bill for Hurricane Sandy is that it contains almost $30 billion to keep disasters like that one from happening again:
Approving funding to prevent hurricane damage means acknowledging that there is a continuing danger from hurricanes and that it is getting worse, and that means acknowledging that the funding is not just part of some liberal global-warming conspiracy. (An example, from Heritage’s Katherine Rosario: "Rather than concretely helping hurricane victims rebuild and get on their feet, which would be a more proper manifestation of the federal government’s role in our lives, they've taken it upon themselves to decide to spend our money to change the climate of our planet.")Worse, though, is that the right's lack of foresight isn’t restricted to this one issue. Funding projects that might help Americans who haven’t even been born yet might be good policy, but it’s not going to get anyone elected.
The House today managed to pass one part of the Sandy relief package -- with notable resistance from a Gulf Coast lawmaker. (H/t Justin Sink of the Hill's Morning Read.)