Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 592, the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013. I want to also thank my colleague, Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, for his wonderful leadership on this issue. On October 29 of last year, Hurricane Sandy tore through New York City and its surrounding areas and left an unprecedented amount of damage in its wake. Homes burned to the ground, our communities were devastated, properties flooded, and over 120 lives were lost. Rightfully so, one of the 113th Congress' first actions was ensuring that adequate funding was made available to begin repairing the damage, and I was happy to be part of that effort. The $60 billion in aid that Congress made available was a great start to rebuilding our communities and making them whole, but it was only a start. If we as Members of Congress want our affected communities to recover in the aftermath of any natural disaster, we must ensure that FEMA public assistance grants are available to help rebuild all institutions that are vital to a community's way of life. H.R. 592 is a bipartisan bill. It would allow houses of worship, such as churches, synagogues, temples, or mosques, to receive the fair treatment they deserve. The bill places these vital community institutions on the same playing field as other private nonprofits that are already eligible for FEMA disaster relief. This bill provides no new funds.…”