Frank Lautenberg: “we have come back here from a few turbulent weeks, and not the least of which is the continuation of President Obama…”

“we have come back here from a few turbulent weeks, and not the least of which is the continuation of President Obama with his work and his responsibilities. For most of us, I would say, that was a very positive thing. But something else happened during these very difficult weeks, and that was in my home State of New Jersey and the east coast. We were hit by storms never, never before seen in our State and maybe never ever to be seen in our country in terms of the volume of destruction. My home State of New Jersey is known for a number of things: being the home of innovators, such as Thomas Edison; the place where Alexander Hamilton--at my birthplace, Paterson, NJ--helped start the industrial revolution; and it is also known as a State with a beautiful seashore, recreation areas. Unfortunately, the wrath of Superstorm Sandy 2 weeks ago destroyed so much of our shore. Its storm surge wrecked boats, homes, and even took trains--whole trains--off the tracks. Its winds reached 89 miles an hour, uprooting trees across our State, destroying everything in its path, and leaving millions--2\1/2\ million--without electricity and staying in the dark. The force of this storm is so hard to describe in words, so I point out a picture here of one of our beachside communities, showing what was left of a house. The destruction was so total.…”