WHITE HOUSE: President George W. Bush joins Arizona Senator John McCain in a small celebration of McCain’s 69th birthday Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, after the President’s arrival at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix. The President later spoke about Medicare to 400 guests at the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort and Country Club in nearby El Mirage. White House photo by Paul Morse
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ASSOCIATED PRESS: Republican presidential candidate John McCain took stock of still-hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans on [April 24th] and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed at the nearest Air Force base, drawing a sharp contrast to President Bush’s handling of the tragedy. “Never again, never again, will a disaster of this nature be handled in the disgraceful way it was handled,” McCain declared, a pledged he repeated over and over during the day. MORE
DNC: McCain Voted Against Emergency Funding Bill, Including $28 Billion for Hurricane Relief. McCain voted against passage of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations of 2006. It would provide more than $28 billion for hurricane relief, approximately $2.3 billion for pandemic flu preparations and $1.9 billion for border security efforts. [2006 Senate Vote #112, 5/4/2006] McCain Voted Against Five Months of Medicaid For Hurricane Katrina Victims. McCain voted against an amendment to provide emergency health care and other relief for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The amendment would grant access to Medicaid to Hurricane Katrina victims for up to five months; it also provided full federal funding for Medicaid in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for up to one year; provided $800 million to compensate providers caring for Katrina evacuees; it temporarily suspended the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty; and permitted states hit by Katrina or serving evacuees to access the TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) Contingency Fund. It would be offset with funds unspent by FEMA. [2005 Senate Vote #285, 11/3/2005] McCain Voted Twice Against Establishing A Commission To Study The Response To Hurricane Katrina. McCain voted twice against establishing a Congressional commission to examine Federal, State, and local response to devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. Gulf Region; and making immediate corrective measures to improve future responses. [2006 Senate Vote #6, 2/2/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #229, 9/14/2005] McCain Opposed Granting Financial Relief To Those Affected By Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, McCain voted against allowing up to 52 weeks of unemployment benefits to individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina. [2005 Senate Vote #234, 9/15/2005]
