On Tuesday, President Barrack Obama has signed a long-awaited $50.6 billion Hurricane Sandy disaster relief package, drafted by the House of Representatives and passed by the Senate earlier in the week. The package passed the Senate in a vote of 62-32.
U.S. House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY), the package’s sole sponsor, said that, “The funding in this legislation will go toward both immediate and longer-term needs in the wake of the storm, including the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, which provides the most direct source of individual and community assistance throughout the affected region.
“The legislation will also finance critical housing and infrastructure needs, ensure repairs to damaged veterans medical facilities, and fund necessary transit repairs, small business loans, and recovery aid for businesses of all sizes.”
Rogers added that, “Included in the legislation is an amendment – offered by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) – to provide an additional $33 billion for longer-term recovery efforts and infrastructure improvements, and for programs and projects that will help guard against damage and losses in future disasters.”
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