Congress Approves $9.7 Billion In Sandy Relief
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Damage from superstorm Sandy in New Jersey (Creative Commons).
The increase allows the National Flood Insurance Program to continue paying out claims. The program was set to run out of money next week.
The Senate then quickly passed the measure by voice vote, and it now moves to President Barack Obama to be signed into law while on vacation in Hawaii.
From the Journal:
Members of Congress from New York and New Jersey had hoped that the House would take up a $60 billion Sandy relief bill that included flood insurance before the last Congress adjourned Thursday morning. But House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) canceled that vote late Tuesday.
The House will vote to put an additional $51 billion toward Sandy relief on Jan. 15, the Associated Press reported.
"I think it's horrible it took this long," said Susan VanVeen, of Randolph, N.J. to the AP. VanVeen was part of a volunteer group that drove to Lavallette to help clean up strangers' homes. "This area is completely devastated. It's still probably going to be weeks before people get this money. This should have happened a long time ago."
Barbara Kirchoff of Keansburg, N.J., told the AP that her parents’ home was devasted by Sandy and Washington politicians don’t seem to care.
“My parents have nothing,” Kirchoff said. “They need this money. A good portion of my town is a ghost town. They need help, now.”
Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage on superstorm Sandy here.
Reach Executive Producer Agnus Dei Farrant here.
