The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
May 22, 2013

Oklahoma Senator Calls for Spending Cuts to Offset Tornado Aid 
---------------------------------------------------------------


 
In a White House address, President Obama vowed federal aid for
Oklahoma's recovery.

President Obama: "For all those who've been affected, we recognize that
you face a long road ahead. In some cases there will be enormous grief
that has to be absorbed. But you will not travel that path alone. Your
country will travel it with you, fueled by our faith in the Almighty and
our faith in one another. So our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma
today. And we will back up those prayers with deeds for as long as it
takes."

The federal government is expected to tap a more than $11 billion
disaster relief fund to pay for recovery efforts in Oklahoma. But a
congressional debate has already erupted similar to the partisan
conflict around Hurricane Sandy last year. On Tuesday, Oklahoma Sen. Tom
Coburn, a Republican, sparked controversy after saying that any
additional federal money for his home state should be offset by an equal
amount in spending cuts.

 

.