FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013
PAGE 5
THE WOODSIDE HERALD
Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Package Passes House Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, voted in favor of H.R. 152, a $50 billion Sandy Disaster Relief package that will help communities affected by Hurricane Sandy rebuild and recover after the devastating storm hit New York and other areas of the Northeast in October. Earlier this month, the House passed H.R. 41, a bill to raise the borrowing authority of the National Flood Insurance Program by $9.7 billion, providing much-needed assistance to property owners affected by the storm. Together, these two bills will cover the $60 billion relief package requested by President Obama and passed by the Senate in December. “Seventy nine days after Hurricane Sandy hit our communities Congress is finally doing what it should have done months ago: tak-
ing action,” said Rep. Crowley. “This bill should have never been tied up in political gamesmanship, but the wait is over and a muchneeded hand will now be extended to the communities, families, and small businesses devastated by Hurricane Sandy. This aid package will ensure New York’s infrastructure is rebuilt to be better and stronger than ever, small businesses will have the cash flow they need to get back to work, and preventive measures are put in place to protect our City against future storms.” The Sandy Disaster Relief package will help meet immediate recovery needs in New York and throughout the Northeast, including funding to restore buildings and properties, repair New York’s transit systems, and providing loans to small businesses hurt by the storm. In addition, the bill will provide
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
much-needed funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund, which provides shelter, food and other necessities in the wake of disasters, and will provide for Community Development Block Grants, a critical program that helps local governments make important investments in areas like housing, infrastructure, transportation, and economic development. In addition, the relief package puts in place costsaving measures to prevent further damage from the likelihood of future storms and natural disasters.
The Sandy Disaster Relief package will now move to the Senate for consideration. NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), released the following statement, reacting to the U.S. House of Representatives approval for over $50 billion in Sandy aid to the Northeast: “One vote down, one to go. Nearly 80 days after Sandy and much political wrangling, our resi-
dents are a step closer to possibly receiving long overdue relief and assistance. I mention “possibly” because I witnessed federal relief funds coming to our state back in 2009 as we received federal stimulus monies and due to the numerous conditions imposed on the way those funds were to be distributed, it made it quite impossible to allocate the relief where it was needed most. I have been advocating that the federal Sandy relief funds of $50.7 billion must have no conditions or strings attached to it by any governmental authority, so that those monies can truly help the people, business owners, schools, hospitals, religious institutions, and others that need it. I am optimistic that once the U.S. Senate votes to approve the Sandy relief next week, the elected officials and residents can work together to identify areas requiring assistance and get the funds there in a quick manner without jeopardizing transparency and accountability.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Join me in remembering the life and contributions of the inspirational Martin Luther King Jr. this Monday
Congressman Joe Crowley 14th Congressional District Paid for by Crowley for Congress To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
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