The Oct. 30, 1975 front page of the New York Daily News.

Speaker of the House John Boehner is taking heat from all sides for delaying the decisive vote on the post-Hurricane Sandy federal aid package. Even his fellow Republicans have blasted Mr. Boehner. Many of the local Democrats who jumped into the fray used the motif of the famous 1975 Daily News cover that implied Gerald Ford told the city to "drop dead" when he vowed to veto federal aid to the five boroughs in their assessments of Mr. Boehner's conduct. Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson explicitly credited his source material in his shot at Mr. Boehner.

"The decision by House Speaker John Boehner to postpone a vote on Hurricane Sandy aid for the New York region is a travesty of epic proportions," Mr. Thompson said in a statement. "The move is reminiscent of the famous newspaper headline from the 1970’s when the federal government refused to help New York City in a time of need. 'Boehner to City: Drop Dead' is an appropriate headline for the Speaker’s actions."

City Council speaker and likely mayoral candidate Christine Quinn alluded to the headline a little less directly when she discussed Mr. Boehner's handling of the aid package on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight this evening.

"I mean it's really unbelievable how Speaker Boehner and his party could just walk away from all the New Yorkers, and people in New Jersey and people in Connecticut in need," said Ms. Quinn. "Quite frankly, Speaker Boehner told them to just drop dead and it's just outrageous."

Long Island Congressman Peter King, who also blasted Mr. Boehner earlier today, had a meeting with Mr. Boehner this afternoon in which he said the speaker promised a vote on the aid would be held by January 15. On CNN, Ms. Quinn responded that she can't be sure Mr. Boehner will stick to that commitment because he previously promised the vote would be held before the 112th Congress finished at the end of last year. She also urged Mr. Boehner to visit New York and "answer to" people who were affected by the storm in the time between now and the aid vote.

"I hope he does the right thing between now and January 15 as he allegedly has promised Peter King, but I'm not going to believe it till I see it because any assurances we've gotten until now have just been wiped away," Ms. Quinn said. "You know what? Speaker Boehner should do between now and when he says he's going to vote? He should come to New York and New Jersey, he should walk with me and others in Queens, he should go to Belle Harbor and Breezy Point, he should talk to those folks whose homes were burned to the ground."

The New York State Democratic Party also used the "drop dead" line, however their statement wasn't aimed at Mr. Boehner. Rather, it was directed at New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, who expressed disappointment the package wasn't passed, while simultaneously suggesting Mr. Boehner's decision not to hold the vote may have been justified because the Sandy aid bill was "pork-laden."

"Mr. Cox’s defending of the inaction by congress is anti-New York and he has put his political allegiance to his own Republican party over his allegiance to the people of the state. Mr. Cox said the Republican House was justified in not voting because the bill had 'pork.' Not even the extremist Republicans have argued that," the statement began.

Before delivering the kicker, the statement from the state Democratic Party got in a jab at Mr. Cox's father-in-law, former President Richard Nixon.

"New York doesn’t have time for partisanship or Mr. Cox's Nixonian brand of politics. Mr. Cox should get on board with the relief effort or get out of the way. Either way, Mr. Cox’s message today to New Yorkers impacted Sandy was as clear as can be: ‘Ed Cox to NY: drop dead.’"

Governor Andrew Cuomo speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill yesterday. (Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo spent the day in Washington yesterday lobbying for the approximately $40 billion in federal aid he is asking for to help the state recover from Hurricane Sandy. Politicker spoke with sources familiar with the governor's schedule to get details on how he spent his time and who he met with on his first trip to Washington since taking office.

"The governor hit the trifecta; the White House, the Majority Leader and the speaker,"  an administration official said.

With the country facing the fiscal cliff and the tense budget talks in D.C., securing such a large aid package is a tall order. Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg also made the trip to Washington to lobby for the funds.

Mr. Cuomo's afternoon began at the White House where he met with President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Jack Lew, budget chief Jeffrey Zients, Director of Legislative Affairs Rob Nabor's and the White House's point person on the long-term Sandy recovery effort, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. The governor was accompanied by his spokesman Josh Vlasto and his senior advisor Howard Glaser. On his way out of the White House, Governor Cuomo also bumped into the president's senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and economic advisor Gene Sperling and he talked with the about the request for recovery aid.

After his time at the White House, Governor Cuomo went to the Capitol Building where he met with New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. The trio had a meeting with Senator Dan Inouye, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Senator Thad Cochran, the committee's vice chairman. They also met with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who also sits on the appropriations committee and personally dealt with another large request for federal storm after her state was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Following their meetings with the members of the appropriations committee, Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Schumer and Ms. Gillibrand met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Next, Mr. Cuomo met with leaders of the House of Representatives. He began by meeting with Speaker of the House John Boehner accompanied by two of the New York City area's Republican congressman Michael Grimm and Peter King. Mr. Boehner's support will be pivotal to the push for Sandy aid because, according to Mr. Grimm, he has expressed willingness to approve a package without offsets from other items in the federal budget. This is expected to face opposition from other members of the GOP House majority and Mr. Boehner and other Republicans who support the aid request will be crucial to turning sufficient Republican votes for it to pass. After his meeting with Mr. Boehner, Governor Cuomo also spent about a half an hour meeting with the Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The last item on the governor's list was a press conference with all of the members of New York's congressional delegation. At the press conference, Mr. Cuomo said he hoped to have an aid package finalized by Christmas. Mr. King, who also spoke said Mr. Boehner was strongly supportive of the push for federal Sandy recovery funds.

"The Speaker is committed to making this work," he said. "To do what has to be done."

Mr. Cuomo echoed this sentiment and described his meeting with Mr. Boehner as "positive."

"We're trying to cooperate--collaborate our politics, if you will," he said of working with the GOP.

Senator Chuck Schumer discussing post-Sandy federal aid at the Capitol Building yesterday with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Kirsten Gillibrand. (Photo: Getty)

Most of the discussion surrounding the request New York is making for billions in Sandy recovery aid has focused on repairing the damage caused by the storm. However, at yesterday's press conference where he discussed the push for federal aid, Senator Chuck Schumer said the efforts of elected officials will also include securing funds for storm protection projects.

"There is money for mitigation," Mr. Schumer said in response to a question from Politicker. "I don't know New Jersey's division yet, but New York's is 32 billion for the actual damage that occurred, for recovery from that, and 9 billion for mitigation."

Along with the request for money for new projects, Mr. Schumer said he and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are also working to ensure Army Corps of Engineers projects approved prior to the storm are completed.

"Senator Gillibrand and I have already submitted a billion dollars, and we've given that to the administration, of seven Army Corps projects that were actually approved and have been authorized to protect our beaches and our low-lying water areas," he explained. "One example, the City of Long Beach in 2005 asked for--the Army Corps was ready to build high dunes. A small group of homeowners in Long Beach at that time objected and the city said, 'Don't do it.' Now, of course, the city manager has called me and said, 'I want it right away.'"

Though Mr. Schumer forecast the push for post-Sandy federal aid will be a "hard fight," he said the Army Corps projects that have previously been approved should be easier to find funding for. He also said he expects the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake other, new storm protection projects.

"The good news is, on those projects we don't have to go through a whole study and authorization. We have seven of those that affect Staten Island, the Rockaways and Long Island," said Mr. Schumer. "But there'll be lots of other Army Corps projects that deal with mitigation. There will also be other types of mitigation that make our buildings stronger, make our tunnels more protected, things like that."

Mayor Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg sounded quite skeptical the city would get the billions of dollars in federal aid he is requesting after Hurricane Sandy when he sarcastically joked that he was as "optimistic" about the prospect of getting the funds as he had been about getting the West Side stadium he unsuccessfully pushed for. At the press conference after his series of meetings with lawmakers and officials in Washington today he sounded far more confident, so Politicker asked whether he was now more genuinely optimistic his request for aid would be fulfilled

"I'm always genuinely optimistic, although I will say we're unlikely to get the stadium on the West Side," Mr. Bloomberg said with a laugh. "I walked away this morning as optimistic as you could be. Nothing is ever done until it's done. There is always a possibility of other things occurring during the process...but from both Republicans and Democrats in both houses, we got very optimistic buzz, if you will."

In spite of Mr. Bloomberg's newfound optimism, Senator Chuck Schumer, who accompanied the mayor at the press conference along with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, outlined the various reasons he believes it will be a "hard fight" to get the federal aid New York's elected officials are pushing for.

"There's no doubt this is going to be a hard fight. We have a Congress that is decidedly less friendly to disaster aid than any in 100 years, we're in the middle of very strenuous negotiations over the fiscal cliff and we know that money is short in Washington just as it is in New York," Mr. Schumer said. "But having someone like Mayor Bloomberg down here advocating for New York is like having an ace in the hole. He has the stature and the respect on both sides of the aisle we need to bring a winning hand home."

Mr. Bloomberg said New York State is requesting $42 billion in  federal aid including money for state agencies, Long Island and the five boroughs. He said New Jersey is asking for $38 billion of aid.

Mr. Schumer said the push for the funds would not be a quick process.

"So far, we believe our colleagues have been very receptive, but there's a long road to go and there are going to be many pitfalls in the way, particularly given the climate in Washington and the shortage of money," he explained. "This fight will not last weeks, but months. Mayor Bloomberg, we'll probably need you back a few times."

Mayor Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

WASHINGTON -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in Washington D.C. today meeting with lawmakers and other officials about his request for billions of dollars in federal aid to help the city recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy last month in New York. Though many City residents affected by Sandy have had some criticism about FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security's response to the storm, at a press conference in the Capitol Building this afternoon, Mr. Bloomberg said he didn't have a single issue with the federal followup to the hurricane. 

Mr. Bloomberg said his morning schedule in Washington included meetings with key lawmakers and "a long talk and lunch" with Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who is President Barack Obama's point person on the longterm rebuilding effort after the storm. The mayor gave his assessmentof the federal response to Sandy while discussing his meeting with Mr. Donovan.

"I did thank him for all the help we've received from Washington already including from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency," said Mr. Bloomberg.  "I will say that the support of both of those agencies was exemplary. And people kept asking me, 'Is there anything we could improve on?' And I had to say honestly, no, that I don't know one complaint. These people--both agencies have worked as hard as anybody could and as effectively as anybody could ask for."

Overall, Mayor Bloomberg, who was accompanied by Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, said the reception they received during their push for storm aid was "very good." Though he and the senators acknowledged the tight federal budget, he expressed confidence the City will get the aid he is seeking.

"There's every reason to believe that Congress will provide us with the assistance we need given New York City's importance to the health of the entire nation," the mayor said. "Consider this, we're just 2.6 percent of the nation's population, but we do generate 4.3 percent of America's gross national product."

(Photo: Getty)

Earlier today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg formally petitioned the federal government for billions of dollars in financial assistance to help cover the costs incurred from the fatal winds and storm surge that came with Hurricane Sandy last month. However, when he was asked about the request at the end of an unrelated press conference today, Mr. Bloomberg sounded skeptical that he'd get what he asked for.

"I'm always optimistic," he said this afternoon. "I always believe that we're going to win. I still think we're going to get that stadium on the West Side. I still think that we're going to get the 2012 Olympics. I'm always an optimist and never give in."

Of course, Mr. Bloomberg was joking about the two proposals his administration unsuccessfully campaigned for. This year's Olympics went to London the West Side Stadium plans were scuttled years ago.

Other elected officials also sounded concerned with how much federal aid will ultimately arrive.

“Make no mistake, this will not be an easy task, particularly given the impending fiscal cliff, and a Congress that has been much less friendly to disaster relief than in the past," Senator Chuck Schumer said in a statement. "We will work with the Administration on supplemental legislation, to be introduced in the upcoming December session of Congress, that will set us on the road to meeting New York's needs. This will be an effort that lasts not weeks, but many months, and we will not rest until the federal response meets New York's deep and extensive needs.”

(Photo: Getty)

We're officially in a state of emergency.

After signing emergency declarations for Maryland and Massachusetts, President Barack Obama did the same for New York this evening, effective across all 62 counties in the Empire State. The move, which allows federal aid to assist in response and recovery efforts, comes after Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon.

In a subsequent statement from Mr. Cuomo, the governor said, “Once again, I thank the President for his quick response to my request for a federal emergency declaration which will apply to the entire State of New York. We appreciate the federal government’s support as we continue to prepare for Hurricane Sandy.”

View the full release from the White House below:

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 27, 2012, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all counties in the State of New York.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Philip E. Parr as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Update (7:38 p.m.): A Response from Mr. Cuomo was added.