"Accountability" Bandwagon

We thought it might be instructive to see how the other ten members of Congress who voted against the supplemental Katrina relief bill are faring and what they're saying. Not surprisingly, what they're saying seems to have come from a common fount:

"New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett said Thursday he voted against sending $51.8 billion in emergency relief to the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina because the bill contained no accountability measures." (Newsday)

"Rep. John Hostettler was one of only 11 House members -- all Republicans -- to oppose the measure that received overwhelming support from members of both parties and the White House. The Associated Press left messages by phone and e-mail Thursday night seeking comment from Hostettler's office .... Hostettler's office did not issue a statement following the vote, but others who voted in opposition said the aid should be balanced with spending cuts elsewhere or that the funding came with too little oversight." (AP)

"Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said in a statement that he voted against the bill because it failed to include controls on how the money will be spent. He proposed creating a bipartisan oversight committee." (CQ Today)

" 'There is no way that it has really been budgeted out and thoughtfully planned,' said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, one of 11 Republican House members who voted against the $51.8 billion hurricane spending bill approved Thursday." (Houston Chronicle)

"Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, the other Texan who opposed the spending, questioned why his fellow lawmakers 'think that the best way to [deal with the disaster] is simply to write a huge check to the very government agency that failed so spectacularly.' " (Houston Chronicle) At least Paul is a principled libertarian. He votes against almost all spending, including the Iraqi War.

"Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who voted against the hurricane spending, wants Congress to cut money from what he considers overly expensive legislation, such as the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the recently passed energy bill. (Houston Chronicle) Flake is another Republican with at least some consistency. He, unlike Virginia Foxx, voted against the energy bill give-away.

"U.S. Rep. Steve King .... voted against the spending plan Thursday night, complaining he wasn't provided a detailed list of how the money would be spent before the vote. He also questioned the appropriateness of the federal government spending $3.3 billion to purchase 200,000 trailer homes to house hurricane victims with the first wave of money approved by Congress." (Sioux City Journal) Has an irrational fear of trailer homes?

"Idaho Congressman Butch Otter, who is running for governor, was in the minority on the $51.8 billion hurricane relief supplemental funding bill that the House passed yesterday on a 410-11 vote. Otter called the measure 'throwing money at a tragedy' and 'simply irresponsible.' 'By approving this bill, Congress once again was rushing to act without seriously considering the consequences or alternatives,' Otter said in a statement. 'Do something now, even if it's wrong, is as bad a policy for government as it is for individuals.' " (Eye on Boise) Even conservative Republicans recognize the hypocrisy of Otter's stance: "Members of the 'Republican community' blog RedState.org questioned Otter's true fiscal conservatism by pointing out that he voted for large and sprawling spending bills on energy and transportation." (IdahoStatesman.com)

"Georgia Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA 8th) Friday defended his vote against the U.S. federal government's $51.8 billion hurricane aid package .... 'I certainly don't want to keep any money away from the relief effort,' Westmoreland said, speaking from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. But he said Congress approved the extra money without imposing any fiscal controls, which would help guarantee that the federal aid reaches the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. 'I don't think it's right to give the taxpayers money without some accountability,' Westmoreland said." (WXIA-TV Atlanta)

The only one of the Republican Eleven who hasn't said anything publicly (that we can find) is F. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin.