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Joint Statement on President Obama's $60 Billion Sandy Funding RequestLautenberg Will Work on Appropriations Committee to Secure Aid QuicklyLautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224Friday, December 07, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Following the Administration’s $60 billion disaster aid request, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Charles E.Schumer (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) supported the President’s request for federal funding to help states and localities impacted 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,” the New Jersey and New York Senators said. “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.” As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Lautenberg pledged to work quickly to secure the funding in Congress: “We will get to work in Congress to secure disaster relief funding before the end of the year, and we will continue fighting until New Jersey is fully rebuilt and stronger than ever.” Just two weeks after the storm, Lautenberg was joined by 12 other Senators from states impacted by Superstorm Sandy in calling on President Obama to submit a request to Congress for emergency federal disaster assistance. The Senators called on the President to take quick action so the necessary funds can be appropriated to help victims of Sandy rebuild and recover. ###
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