On the recordJanuary 15, 2013
I thank my good friend for yielding, and I strongly support Mr. Frelinghuysen's amendment. Madam Chair, gaps in homeowners insurance coverage and a growing realization that there will be major tax receipt losses from towns that have had their tax bases eviscerated by Sandy is further compounded in a State that's reeling from a body blow with no precedent. All of this has led to crippling shortfalls. Towns have serious gaps in needed resources. They need our help. The $33 billion Frelinghuysen amendment fills those gaps for people in need of housing assistance, public infrastructure destroyed or damaged by Sandy will get a huge boost, and economic revitalization will accelerate. I've lost count, Madam Chair, of the number of my constituents who either didn't have flood insurance for their homes or who had an inadequate amount of coverage. To compound their misery, many have upside-down mortgages, and they desperately need our help. The Frelinghuysen amendment raises to $16 billion from $3.9 billion in the Rogers amendment, funds to aid in the relief of homeowners, buyouts, and home elevation. It will also provide very critical moneys for the Army Corps of Engineers. Where the Army Corps had projects in place, there was a mitigation of the amount of damage to infrastructure and to homes. We need this additional funding to protect homes, businesses so millions of people can get on with their lives.
