Sandy relief bill, the fiscal cliff and GOP politics

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on a $9 billion boost to the federal flood insurance program sucked dry by the catastrophic damage caused by Superstorm Sandy at the end of October. The vote comes three days into the New Year, and three days after House Speaker John Boehner declined to put the Sandy relief package up for a vote on the same night as the House approved the deal resolving the so-called “fiscal cliff.” That decision ignited passionate rebukes from Republicans from Sandy-struck New Jersey and New York, notably New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Long Island Republican Peter King, on the eve of yesterday’s vote by Republicans retaining Boehner as Speaker. Joining us to discuss the Sandy relief bill, the fiscal cliff and GOP politics are JOSH KRAUSHAAR, executive editor of National Journal Hotline; and JONATHAN TAMARI, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Washington correspondent and CapitolInq blogger. We’ll also call out to the Club for Growth vice president for government affairs ANDY ROTH, who’ll discuss why that small-government group urged a “No” vote on the Sandy relief bill.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite