Frank Pallone: “I urge my colleagues to adopt the entire package today for Sandy relief. My district was devastated by the hurricane. We…”

“I urge my colleagues to adopt the entire package today for Sandy relief. My district was devastated by the hurricane. We really are in need of this funding in order to rebuild, and we shouldn't have to delay anymore. It's, I think, into the 10th week now since the storm occurred. Really, without this package passing today and then immediately going to the Senate to be passed there as well and signed by the President, the whole effort to try to rebuild the shore in time for the summer season--the jobs, the tourism, the economy related to that--would really be seriously jeopardized. I would urge that my colleagues adopt not only the initial base bill, the Rogers' amendment, but also the Frelinghuysen amendment. The Frelinghuysen amendment, which is the additional $33 billion, will let us basically do a lot of the shore protection, the beach replenishment, the dunes, the flood controls, to prevent damage from a future storm, and also provide the Community Development Block Grants, the grants that there's a lot of flexibility for the towns so they can go back and basically give grants to homeowners as well as small business. Mr. Speaker, I have towns that are devastated. We need this bill now. ____________________”