Frank Lautenberg: “on October 29, one of the largest Atlantic hurricanes on record slammed into the Jersey shore. At the same time, a…”

“on October 29, one of the largest Atlantic hurricanes on record slammed into the Jersey shore. At the same time, a winter storm system hit New Jersey from the west, creating a superstorm that did unprecedented damage to my State. When the sun came up the next day, parts of New Jersey looked like a war zone. Reports indicate that more than 30 people in New Jersey were killed, and at least 100 in the U.S. lost their lives as a result of this storm. Across New Jersey, 350,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed. Imagine how all of those families felt. Imagine having to evacuate, and coming home to find nothing there. The place where you raised your children and created so many memories--gone. Across our State, 75 percent of small businesses were affected; big parts of our transportation system were shut down; and our electrical grid was crippled. There were approximately 2,400,000 power outages in New Jersey, affecting roughly two-thirds of all power customers in the State. In response to this devastation, I was proud to see New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and President Obama put aside their political differences and join together to help people in a desperate situation. This bipartisan leadership made the whole country proud. We have an opportunity with the bill we are considering this week to show that kind of leadership here in the Senate.…”