FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 13, 2012
CONTACT: Ian Koski (Coons) at 202-224-5042

Senators Carper, Coons urge President Obama to amend budget to request disaster aid for Superstorm Sandy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined 11 other Senators from states impacted by Superstorm Sandy in urging President Obama on Tuesday to amend the 2013 budget to request emergency aid for federal disaster assistance programs. The Senators thanked the President and his Administration for acting decisively and providing tremendous support during and after the storm.  Senators Carper and Coons also urged the President to continue such quick action to allow necessary funds to be appropriated to help victims of Sandy rebuild and recover.

“As Senators representing states impacted by Superstorm Sandy, we are writing to request that the Administration submit a budget amendment pursuant to the Budget Control Act to provide the necessary funding to robustly support vital federal programs to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of victims of Sandy and other recent disasters,” the Senators wrote. “It is critical that this budget amendment be submitted as soon as possible so critical resources can reach impacted communities by the end of the calendar year.”

Senators Carper and Coons were joined by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Joe Manchin III (D-W.V.), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.V.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). 

Click here to view the senators’ letter: http://1.usa.gov/SkCNSP.

Full text of the letter follows:

November 13, 2012

Dear Mr. President:

As Senators representing states impacted by Superstorm Sandy, we are writing to request that the Administration submit a budget amendment pursuant to the Budget Control Act to provide the necessary funding to robustly support vital federal programs to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of victims of Sandy and other recent disasters.  It is critical that this budget amendment be submitted as soon as possible so critical resources can reach impacted communities by the end of the calendar year.

Millions of people along the East Coast were impacted by Superstorm Sandy, which caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, private property and business.  Given the enormity of the storm and the fact that state and local governments are already facing tight budgets, we ask that you consider increasing the federal share for Public Assistance for affected states and calculate such adjustments into your request to ensure that combined federal and non-federal funds are sufficient for a full recovery.

Because the storm caused sweeping damage in a variety of ways, the federal response should be comprehensive and include support from multiple programs at different agencies.  The federal government has a tradition of providing strong support to help states recover from natural disasters.  In addition to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, we request funding for critical disaster relief programs at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Economic Development Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Small Business Administration.  The amendment should also include funding for damage to federal assets in our states and expenses for federal agencies, where appropriate.

You and your entire Administration have acted decisively and provided tremendous support during this catastrophic storm.  Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to working with you to continue helping our residents, our communities and our states.      

Thank you for considering this request.           

Sincerely,

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