A NASA image of Hurricane Sandy

The people of the northeast coast of the United States are facing down one of the worst storms in years, as Hurricane Sandy barrels towards New York City. This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of having a government that has the capacity to decently take care of its people.

In order for the government to have that capacity, it needs funding. Last June, House Democrats proposed an amendment to increase funding for the government’s ability to respond to mass flooding, with a $31.6 million appropriation for “flood control and coastal emergencies so we can train and plan for natural disasters, respond to hurricanes, fight floods, and repair storm damage reduction projects.”

Republicans overwhelmingly voted down the amendment in a 233-185 vote. Only two Republicans supported the measure — Rep. Steve King (IA) and Rep. Tom Latham (IA).

It’s important to remember this not to politicize this tragedy — Americans of all political stripes are dealing with the ramifications of the storm, and they all deserve our thoughts and efforts — but to remember that politics has consequences.

Please contribute to our Hurricane Preparedness Fund so that we can pay for generators to power our election headquarters. With your backing, we can continue to call voters on behalf of great progressives like Elizabeth Warren and Alan Grayson. We can also help defeat Republicans who tried to hold disaster relief funds hostage, like Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH).