Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, today we meet to consider the second and third tranches of disaster assistance for the families suffering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. In the dying days of the 112th Congress, we passed legislation granting FEMA the authority to increase by up to $9.7 billion its borrowing so that the agency could continue paying homeowners insurance claims associated with the hurricane. Then, rather than address the remaining pressing concerns of the families suffering because of Sandy, the Republican Leadership gaveled the House into adjournment.

We return today, months after Sandy struck to finish the job. Today the House considers two pieces of legislation that when combined will provide more than $50 billion in assistance to those areas hit by Sandy. I stand in support of H.R. 152 and the amendment offered by Rep. Frelinghuysen.

H.R. 152 provides $17 billion in assistance to the lead agencies responsible for reconstruction efforts including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transportation. The bill also increases the role of the Government Accountability Office in monitoring the assistance in the bill. Representative Frelinghuysen's amendment covers the same areas as H.R. 152 while increasing the time lines associated with funding to provide for longer-term support. These measures, together with the bill passed last Congress to increase FEMA borrowing authority and the Sandy disaster assistance streamlining bill passed by the House yesterday finally finishes the work Congress should have completed months ago.

With the passage of H.R. 152 and the Frelinghuysen amendment, the families whose lives were turned upside down by the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy will finally have access to the resources they will need to rebuild.

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