# What is the political game behind the Hurricane Sandy relief bill?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-political-game-behind-the-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill/645919>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [January 3, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-political-game-behind-the-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill/645919 "2013-01-03T04:23:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-political-game-behind-the-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill/645919/21 "2013-01-16T19:03:22Z")

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> [@shiftless](#):
>
> I caught part of a news story this morning that said there were complaints of pork riding this bill. As in non-Sandy related moneys being spent. Does anyone know the details?

The majority of any non-Sandy spending appears to have been appropriations to help victims of other (federally declared) disasters, such as Missouri tornadoes and Alaska fisheries depletion.

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**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-political-game-behind-the-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill/645919/22 "2013-01-16T19:07:44Z")

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> [@jasg](#):
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> How did this get past the Hastert Rule? Has anyone seen an explanation from the speaker?

Basically he just ignored the Hastert Rule (for the second time this year). Whether this is the beginning of a trend remains to be seen.

I have not seen a quote from Boehner about why he allowed this to come to a vote. I would assume it’s because withholding disaster aid just because the disaster was the Northeast is terrible politics.

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-political-game-behind-the-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill/645919/23 "2013-01-16T19:36:18Z")

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The Hastert rule seems to be dying a slow death. Despite controlling a majority of the House, it seems like the only way any major legislation passes the House in this Congress (or passes it without being doomed in the Senate anyway’s) is via a large majority of Dems and a rump of 40 or so GOP members led by Boehner.

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