Rep. Engel Calls for Support of Second Sandy Aid Package

After Congress failed to pass the $60 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy this week, the House came back today and passed a small portion of the relief bill.

The $9.7 billion in funding will help Hurricane Sandy victims with paying for insurance claims.

According to Congressman Eliot Engel (D-Bronx), who represents New Rochelle, the "National Flood Insurance program would have run out of funds to reimburse claims approximately within a week. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval and on Jan. 15 the House will vote on the remaining $51 billion in aid."

In a statement released today, Engel voiced his anger with the lack of action on the aid for victims in the tri-state area.

"It is ridiculous that this was not accomplished before the last Congress adjourned," Engel stated. "It has been 68 days since New York, New Jersey and much of the Northeast was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy. People are still homeless, businesses are still on the edge of bankruptcy, and local governments are buckling under the massive burden of rebuilding their towns and cities. While this is going on, the Republican-led House continued to personify its reputation as a 'do-nothing' Congress."

"People are suffering, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle need to remember that Mother Nature is not partisan," he stated. "It was not Democrats, nor Republicans, who were affected—it was Americans. It was shameful to have not had a vote on this earlier than Jan. 4, but I am glad to have finally had a vote in the House to help the people of New York and the Northeast recover."