Critics are blasting The New York Times for a “dishonest” attack against Ron DeSantis over his voting record in 2013 when lawmakers were considering a relief package after Hurricane Sandy.
As a freshman congressman in 2013, Ron DeSantis was unambiguous: A federal bailout for the New York region after Hurricane Sandy was an irresponsible boondoggle, a symbol of the “put it on the credit card mentality” he had come to Washington to oppose.
“I sympathize with the victims,” he said. But his answer was no.
Nearly a decade later, as his state confronts the devastation and costly destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian, Mr. DeSantis is appealing to the nation’s better angels — and betting on its short memory. (NYT)
Then-Rep. DeSantis said at the time that he voted against the $9.7 billion in flood insurance aid for Sandy victims because the package was full of "extraneous" spending.
"The problem with the Sandy package was, if you look at it, only 30 percent of it was going to be spent in the first two years," DeSantis said. "It actually appropriated money out to 2020 and 2021, things that could not in any way be said to be emergency spending. It just was so much extraneous stuff."
Regardless of where the storm was, the Republican said he wanted relief packages to be “fiscally responsible.”
DeSantis signaled he would have supported a “leaner” package and emphasized that he “never made the point of saying we shouldn’t do anything.”
The Florida Republicans's former chief of staff also pointed out that DeSantis did support a post-Sandy emergency funding measure.
— Dustin Carmack (@DustinCarmack) September 29, 2022
— Dustin Carmack (@DustinCarmack) September 29, 2022
This is ASTOUNDINGLY dishonest of NYT.
— Andrew Follett (@AndrewCFollett) September 29, 2022
This should full on be retracted. https://t.co/BxeCg09TP4
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