Menendez, Lautenberg Urge President to Increase Federal Support for Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON - As Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts continue, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today sent a letter to President Obama in strong support of increasing the federal share for the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures. The formal request, which was submitted yesterday by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, calls for the cost-share of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Grants Categories 'A' and 'B' to be increased to 100 percent for a minimum of 90 days to help the state and local governments cope with immense cleanup costs caused by Superstorm Sandy.

"We appreciate everything you did for New Jersey in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but as you know, there is still much work to be done. Entire communities are still devastated, facing almost insurmountable lists of repairs that simply overwhelm their budgets," the Senators wrote. "To make matters worse, local governments are seeing their tax revenue dwindle as thousands of homeowners and small businesses remain displaced. The people of New Jersey are ready and eager to rebuild, but simply do not have the resources to do so alone without federal assistance."

The current, and usual, federal cost-share for FEMA Public Assistance Grants Categories 'A' and 'B' is 75 percent. Senators Menendez and Lautenberg site the unprecedented and extraordinary extent of damage Hurricane Sandy has caused as a justification to increase the cost-share to the maximum amount of 100 percent. On October 31^st, the Senators sent a similar letter to President Obama requesting an adjustment to the federal cost-share requirement for the cost of emergency power and public transportation associated with Hurricane Sandy, which was granted the next day.

Category 'A' assistance is for debris removalsuch as the clearance of trees and woody debris; certain building wreckage; damaged/ destroyed building contents; sand, mud, silt, and gravel; vehicles; and other disaster-related material deposited on public and, in very limited cases, private property. Category 'B' assistance is for emergency protective measures which are measures taken before, during, and after a disaster to eliminate/reduce an immediate threat to life, public health, or safety, or to eliminate/reduce an immediate threat of significant damage to improved public and private property through cost-effective measures.

The full text of the letter is attached and below:

December 4, 2012

Dear Mr. President:

As you know, Governor Christie has submitted a request asking you to increase the federal cost-share of FEMA Public Assistance Grants Categories 'A' and 'B' to 100 percent for a minimum of 90 days to help the state and local governments cope with immense cleanup costs caused by Superstorm Sandy. We are writing in strong support of this request and urge you to approve it so local communities will have the resources to continue the massive rebuilding process ahead of them. We thank you for previously increasing the federal cost share for emergency power restoration and transportation during the first two weeks following the storm but it's become clear that local governments need additional relief to cover the massive recovery expenses.

We appreciate everything you did for New Jersey in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but as you know, there is still much work to be done. Entire communities are still devastated, facing almost insurmountable lists of repairs that simply overwhelm their budgets. To make matters worse, local governments are seeing their tax revenue dwindle as thousands of homeowners and small businesses remain displaced. The people of New Jersey are ready and eager to rebuild, but simply do not have the resources to do so alone without federal assistance. In addition, New Jersey has already endured damaging storms in the recent past, putting a significant burden on our state and local governments, many of which are still recovering from Hurricane Irene that came ashore just over a year ago. You have authority under the "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act," to adjust cost-shares for aid to states and local governments for disaster response. While we understand the federal share is typically 75 percent of these total costs, the unprecedented and extraordinary extent of damage Hurricane Sandy justified Governor Christie's request to increase the federal cost-share to 100 percent for a minimum of 90 days.

There is significant precedent for an adjustment to the federal cost-share requirement. Since 1986, more than 200 adjustments to the federal cost-share have been authorized, including during Hurricanes Ike, Gustav, Wilma, Katrina, and Rita. We respectfully urge you to expeditiously approve Governor Christie's request to increase the federal cost-share requirement for Public Assistance Categories 'A' and 'B'. Thank you for your consideration of this important request and for the continued support New Jersey has received from you and your entire Administration.

Sincerely,

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