Reid Says He Misspoke With Disaster Comparison

WASHINGTON (OfficialWire) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that he misspoke when he suggested in a Senate speech that damage from Superstorm Sandy was worse than that inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In a short statement released by his office, the Nevada Democrat said he “simply misspoke” in comments Friday criticizing House Republicans for delaying legislative action to provide financial relief to areas of the Northeast hit by Sandy last October.

Reid said the government had responded within days to help the people of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana after the onslaught of Katrina, but “we are now past two months with the people of New York.”

He said the people of New Orleans “were hurt, but nothing in comparison to what’s happened to the people in New England.” He noted that nearly a million people had lost their homes because of Superstorm Sandy.

Reid and other Democrats were upset when House Republicans decided against acting on Senate legislation to provide disaster relief for Sandy before the congressional session ended last week. On Friday House GOP leaders, after being criticized by fellow Republicans for delaying the disaster aid vote, pushed through a bill approving $9.7 billion to help pay flood insurance claims. The House next week is to take up a broader $51 billion package of aid.

Read More at OfficialWire . By Jim Abrams.

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