House Of Cards “Chapter Thirty-Four”

Hurricanes ruin everything.

Yes, a major hurricane is projected to hit the East Coast.  Normally, the United States would have FEMA all set and ready to go.  But Frank used a big chunk of FEMA’s budget to pay for America Works.

Well, good news.  Frank needs $8 billion to refill FEMA’s coffers before the storm hits.  And the Congress is looking to give him $10.  But, there’s a catch.  The bill comes with a rider saying the money can’t be used for America Works anymore.

Frank tries having a cabinet meeting to find alternatives to both fund FEMA and save his pet project.  He asks if anyone thinks he should just sign the bill and kill his pet project.  After Claire raises her hand first (wait, why is an ambassador at a cabinet meeting?), most of the room turns out to agree.  The prospect of people getting killed is too important.

Claire didn’t actually agree, but Frank confers with her, with the writer penning the book about Frank, and then even calls Freddy into the Oval Office.  Freddy would have been unemployed again if Frank signed the bill, but Frank got him a job in the White House.  And it turned out Freddy didn’t want to work in the kitchen.  He wanted to be a groundskeeper.  But Frank signed the bill, since the storm was more important.

Then the storm turned and missed the country entirely.  America Works died for nothing.

However, Frank is inspired by the failure to publicly throw his hat into the ring for the presidency.  His program was working, so he can use that as a platform.  The book is still on.  The Jordan Valley thing is still happening.  And Doug Stamper is feeding Frank’s people information from inside both Dunbar and Jackie’s respective campaigns before Remy is.  Maybe things are working for Frank after all.