Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee Chair Annette Quijano (D-Union) released the following statement Wednesday on the House of Representatives’ vote to approve $50.7 billion in relief aid for Superstorm Sandy:
“Seventy-nine days have passed since Sandy devastated the Northeast, becoming one of the most costly national disasters in our country’s history. Almost 350,000 homes in New Jersey were damaged or destroyed and yet our residents waited seven times as long as victims of Hurricane Katrina for Congress to act.
“I’m grateful that the House has finally come to our aid, but disaster relief should never become a partisan issue. Natural disasters are not bound by political, regional or socio-economic boundaries. In the future, Congress should standardize a timeline for action on aid for natural disasters. Americans deserve to know that their future will not be in limbo should they require the help of their government in their most dire time of need.
“I want to thank New Jersey’s congressional delegation for their relentless efforts to ensure that House leadership posted this critical bill. With the Senate poised to follow suit and President Obama eager to sign the bill, our residents will finally get the help they need to begin rebuilding their lives,” said Quijano.