In the State of the Union, President Obama said too many families who have never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no and urged the Congress to act.

A failure to do so is going to be a poor judgment call on the part of this Congress, if we cannot get, at a minimum, the transfer authority.

I was pleased, as the Subcommittee Chair working with Senator Johnson and the full Committee, to create the program in MAP-21 on emergency relief.

Don't those figures make the compelling case that the disaster supplemental is not just about building or rebuilding a few States, but is helping to rebuild at the same time a national economy?

Finally, I urge Congress to act as soon as possible, Mr. Chairman, in approving recovery funding for the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region.

Congress does not have the resources to meet those recommendations.

money invested preventing future storm damage will limit the bill for future storm relief

We understand that we are going to be accountable to the Federal Government and to our Federal funders and ultimately to the taxpayers for every dollar we receive.

Now, when you lose 20 percent of your ratable base--I was a mayor for 6 years--that is a nightmare because there is no way to make it up except for shifting the responsibility for that community's cost to all of the other ratepayers and/or…

I urge Congress to act as soon as possible in approving recovery funding for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut region.

This is the worst natural disaster that my State has ever faced.

I appreciate that the supplemental appropriation that we will be considering has CDBG monies that can give us the wherewithal with the flexibility.