Pass Funding for Hurricane Sandy Disaster Assistance

Madam Speaker, it has been nearly eight weeks since Superstorm Sandy struck our shores and devastated an entire region. Eight weeks- and Congress has yet to send a disaster assistance package to the affected states.

It is precedent for this body to stand together in the aftermath of a natural disaster to immediately provide the necessary assistance to help communities recover and rebuild. Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast- Congress approved more than $62 billion in federal aid. One month after Hurricanes Ike and Gustav hit Texas- Congress approved more than $20 billion in aid.

Why can’t this Congress come together and approve the $60.4 billion requested by the President to help victims of Sandy?

The damage done by Sandy is far beyond the resources and capacity that any single state possesses to recover on its own. It is my hope that this chamber can set aside our differences and swiftly approve of the supplemental funding. Such assistance will aid those who lost everything in the storm and help to rebuild our communities stronger than ever.

New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut have always stood by other regions of the nation faced with difficult circumstances; I trust that my colleagues in Congress can now come to our aid.