Lloyd Bentsen: “no one is playing politics with this. This is the White House position, and they are Republicans. On the other side, the…”

“no one is playing politics with this. This is the White House position, and they are Republicans. On the other side, the junior Senator from our home State, who is a Republican, is talking about adding money to FEMA, not taking money out. All we are saying is, strike the rescission. The fact is, the committee is the one that added money above what the White House requested. They are using the FEMA money to pay for it. My colleague knows, even from today's Houston Chronicle, FEMA has already spent about $400 million. FEMA tells us that of the $1.6 billion in the account, there is only about $1.1 billion left. If we have this rescission, that takes the amount of money available down to $700 million. That means the amount of money FEMA has to just do what they are doing right now is going to be reduced. FEMA is going to need money to move quickly while they are still paying for North Carolina, while they are still paying for other things. There is no politics in this. If politics is standing up for one's constituents to get what they need to get back on their feet, than I am guilty of those kinds of politics, and so is Mr. Bush in the White House, because we are of the same position. The fact is, we are not pointing fingers at anybody. All we are saying, make in order an amendment so it is not subject to a point of order. They can find the money elsewhere. They made this designation before the storm occurred.”