John Kerry: Senate Holding Our Troops and Hurricane Victims Hostage to Big Oil Interests

CQ Today reported yesterday that "Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said hurricane disaster relief would be put on the same bill as ANWR - either the budget savings package or on the Defense appropriations bill (HR 2863)."

Stevens chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “It’s going to be awfully hard to vote against [hurricane aid],” Stevens said. “If it’s in there, maybe people will vote with me on ANWR.”

John Kerry responded today that the Senate is holding our Troops and Hurricane Victims hostage to Big Oil Interests:

“It’s appalling that the United States Senate is willing to hold our troops and hurricane victims hostage to their desperate attempts to satisfy big oil and drill in the Arctic Refuge. There’s no more infuriating example of this Congress putting corporate welfare over the public good. No wonder Americans are fed up with Washington. The American people aren’t interested in selling off America’s wilderness to the Republicans’ buddies at the oil companies. It’s time for Congress to end these backroom special interest deals and instead use the remaining hours of session to do right by our troops and the people of the Gulf Coast who have sacrificed so much.”