Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 3, 1993 TAG: 9309090311
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Ultimately the measure passed, and was sent on to a more sympathetic Senate. But not before the governors of Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri felt compelled to fly to Washington to plead for aid. Presumably, the governors of these flood-ravaged states had other things to attend to back home - but nothing more pressing than trying to shake emergency assistance from the maw of Capitol Hill politics.
The conservative House members didn't doubt federal assistance was needed. It's simply unthinkable that a natural disaster on this scale would not be met with a national response. But they wanted to first figure out just what was going to be cut from the federal budget to pay for it.
They are right, of course, to be worried about the nation's humongous deficit. It's a manmade disaster that is also threatening the country's long-range well-being. And they would do the country a tremendous service if they would insist upon a reassessment of federal disaster programs, including the National Flood Insurance Program, and press for sound reforms. Even its beneficiaries shake their heads and say this is no way to do business.
But an emergency is, by definition, an event demanding immediate action. The American heartland is in the midst of an emergency. To stall aid for the region while seriously suggesting congressional budgeteers first roll up their sleeves and start horse trading to find almost $3 billion in spending cuts seems less like fiscal responsibility than political risibility.
We've seen how easily those cuts are made in the past few excruciating months.
The federal deficit is a disaster that has been at least 12 years in the making. Delay the nation's emergency response to make cuts no one has had the political belly to make thus far? Surely they jest.
by CNB