This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
My heart goes out to the people of Oklahoma. I hope relief efforts are adequately funded and are well underway.
However, this past January, all five of the GOP members of Utah's congressional delegation voted against the disaster relief package to provide funds for the states hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. In addition, five of the six GOP members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation also cast no votes for this relief.
It will be interesting to watch the votes that will doubtless be forthcoming for disaster relief in Oklahoma. If these 10 men continue to vote no, they will, I hope, be appropriately criticized and suffer political consequences.
Should they now vote yes, we can have an interesting discussion on whether disaster funds should be approved based on (a), whether the disaster occurs in a state that tends to vote for your political party, or (b), whether a disaster in your home state trumps any other concerns.
Alan Dunlap
Sandy