On Monday, as the damage wrought by tropical storm Harvey became increasingly apparent, the US vice-president, Mike Pence, made a promise to Houston residents.

“What you’re going to see is the national government – and we anticipate the Congress – are going to make the resources available to see Texas through the rescue operation, through the recovery,” Pence told Houston’s KTRH radio station.

It was a fairly standard statement from a politician during a crisis. But in 2005, when the House was weighing a $50bn relief package for Hurricane Katrina, then-congressman Pence was less effusive.

“As we tend to the wounded, as we begin to rebuild, let us also do what every other American family would do in like circumstances and expects this Congress to do,” Pence told the House.

“Let’s figure out how we’re going to pay for it. Congress must ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt for our children and grandchildren.”

Pence’s Katrina comments – that the government should give victims financial aid, but only if the money can be cut from elsewhere (and so not cost the government anything) – have been circulating again this week, with some accusing the vice-president of hypocrisy.

But Pence – who was visiting Texas to view the damage caused by the storm on Thursday – is not the only Republican whose commitments to Harvey do not tally with their past actions.

This week, Texas senator Ted Cruz issued a statement supporting federal money for his state.

“I’m thankful for the assurances from President Trump and Vice President Pence that full federal assistance stands at the ready once we begin the recovery and rebuilding process,” he said.

But after Hurricane Sandy devastated the north-east in 2013, both Cruz and his fellow Texas senator, John Cornyn – as well as all but one Texas congressman – voted against the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, which aimed to provide $60bn in federal aid to repair damage.

At the time Cruz described the legislation as being full of “pork”.

“Unfortunately, cynical politicians in Washington could not resist loading up this relief bill with billions in new spending utterly unrelated to Sandy,” he said.

The bill ultimately passed without those Texas politicians’ support, and Cruz’s pork claims were rubbished by the Washington Post’s Fact Checker.

It remains to be seen how much scrutiny Cruz will apply to any Senate bill that proposes funding for his own state. But both Democrats and Republicans from states hit by Sandy have been quick to remind the Texas senator of his reluctance to fund the Sandy recovery.

“Ted Cruz & Texas cohorts voted vs NY/NJ aid after Sandy but I’ll vote 4 Harvey aid. NY wont abandon Texas. 1 bad turn doesnt deserve another,” Republican congressman Peter King, from New York, wrote on Twitter.

“Disasters & emergencies are just that...disasters & emergencies. Must stand together as Americans, not be hypocritical based on geography,” said Republican congressman Frank LoBiondo, from New Jersey.

Perhaps the most scathing criticism came from New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who was critical of the speed of the response to Hurricane Sandy.



“The congressional members in Texas are hypocrites, and I said back in 2012 they’d be proven to be hypocrites. It was just a matter of time,” Christie told reporters on Monday.

“We were the disaster that was the longest in waiting in terms of federal aid, and I hope that’s not what happens to the folks in Texas.”