Robert Menendez

US Senator for New Jersey
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Senators Menendez, Lautenberg, Gillibrand, Schumer Statement Regarding Obama Administration's Disaster Aid Request

December 7, 2012

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today released the following statement in response to the Administration’s request for approximately $60 billion in aid from Congress for the states affected by Superstorm Sandy:

This supplemental is a very good start, and while $60 billion doesn’t cover all of New York and New Jersey’s needs, it covers a large percentage.  Just as important, there is a great deal of flexibility that better allows us to help homeowners, small businesses, hospitals, beach communities, and localities rebuild, repair and protect themselves.  We’d like to thank the White House for being open and receptive to our suggestions. 

Of course, as we have said before, we believe this will be the first of several supplementals that will be necessary as our states’ needs become more clear, and we look forward to working with the White House on those as well.  This is going to be a tough fight in the Congress given the fiscal cliff, and some members have not been friendly to disaster relief.  But the care with which the package has been put together has given us a good head start.   

Finally, we’d like to deeply thank the President for caring about our states and being so responsive, and our governors for being constructive and working with us throughout this process.

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