Taking a break from politics, Ryan focuses on Sandy

HUDSON, Wis.With political campaigning suspended for a second day due to superstorm Sandy, GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan took the day to thank volunteers who were packing up canned goods to send to storm victims in New Jersey.

"Look everybody, this is wonderful. This is what Americans do" Ryan said when he stopped at a victory office earlier in the day in La Crosse, Wis.

"We've got a lot of our fellow Americans in the Northeast who are hurting right now. This storm has hit America hard. Let's keep the people who are suffering in our thoughts and prayers. Let's say a special prayer for those people who have lost their lives in this storm and I just want to thank everybody for coming together and doing this, for putting together these care packages."

Ryan, who was accompanied by his wife, Janna, and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who's running for Senate, also urged the volunteers to donate to the Red Cross or to give blood if they were able.

Like Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Ryan did not take questions about long-term plans for federal funding for emergency management programs. Romney said during a CNN primary debate last year that he favored putting states in charge of emergency response programs, prompting questions about whether he would eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

His staff has said recently he would not.

Critics have also said that the House-passed budget Ryan authored would cut money for disaster relief, though Ryan's campaign spokesman, Michael Steel, said the budget includes no cuts to FEMA.