NY, NJ Pols Furious Over House's Failure To Take Up Sandy Relief

NY, NJ Pols Furious Over House's Failure To Take Up Sandy Relief

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WASHINGTON -

More elected leaders are now joining local members of Congress in speaking out about House leadership pulling a Tuesday night vote on aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The House adjourned without approving relief packages for the areas hit hardest by the October superstorm, including 11 states and the District of Columbia.

Congressman Peter King, a Republican from devastated Long Island, N.Y., attacked his own party Wednesday, and Democrats joined him with stinging criticism of House Speaker John Boehner.

"We cannot believe that this cruel knife in the back was delivered to our region," King said. "I have to go home this weekend and next week and the week after and see the hundreds, the thousands of people who are out of their homes, who don't have shelter, who don't have food, and they're living with relatives, friends, living in trailers – this is not the United States of America. This should not be the Republican Party. This should not be the Republican leadership."

President Barack Obama is also calling for House Republicans to vote Wednesday, saying in a written statement that many people are trying to recover and need "immediate support with the bulk of winter still in front of us."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced he's holding a news conference at 2 p.m. to discuss the House's failure to act now 66 days after the storm.

Christie issued a joint statement with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that said, in part: "The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty. When American citizens are in need we come to their aid. That tradition was abandoned in the House last night. #SandyBill."

Members of the New York and New Jersey delegations will meet Boehner on Wednesday afternoon and ask for a vote today on the $60 billion dollars in aid.

It's been approved by the Senate, but some Republicans say the cost of the bill is excessive.

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