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Congress

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

House Approves $50.7 Billion Sandy Relief Bill

Aid was voted on in two packages, both of them passing the U.S. House of Representatives.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a Hurricane Sandy relief package totaling $50.7 billion Tuesday night, the culmination of a contentious day that included charges of overspending from House Republicans and demands from legislators in Sandy-affected areas for their Congressional peers to do the right thing. The aid was approved in two measures, the first in the form of a $17 billion package designed to provide immediate aid primarily to victims of Sandy in New York and New Jersey, and the second, overarching package, adding an additional $33.7 billion in aid and bringing the total to more than $50 billion. The purpose of splitting the aid package, presumably, was to give House Republicans the chance to vote for immediate …

Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC

2:31 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

If you have any questions about your business or home please contact Maria Patriarca, CPA at 908-272-6200 x 326 or email her at mpatriarca@fmrtl.com or visit our website for resources http://www.fmrtl.com/about/news/66-hurricane-sandy-recovery-resources   more ›

Friday, January 4, 2013

Congress Approves $9.7 Billion in Insurance Funding to Aid Sandy Victims

The U.S. House of Representatives approved an initial round of funding for the National Flood Insurance Program. Another $50 billion could come Jan. 15.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure late Friday afternoon allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to borrow $9.7 billion to pay insurance claims made by victims of Hurricane Sandy. The bill, HR 41, temporarily increases the borrowing authority of FEMA to allow the agency to carry out payment claims made by property owners to the National Flood Insurance Program.  Congress moved to approve the funding stop-gap Friday after concerns were raised that aid for Sandy victims had been delayed too long. The House, specifically, Majority Speaker John Boehner, R-OH, came under fire for tabling a Sandy aid package until after the New Year.   Congress is expected to vote on two additional bills authorizing more than $…

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Skitch

7:45 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013

@Rick. You are incorrect. Flood policies are thru the NFIP. The private insurance carriers are servicing carriers only. They collect the premium, issue the policy, service the claims and are reimbursed by the feds for their services. The adjusters handling the flood claims are required to be certified by the NFIP. So even the carrier who wrote your policy usually do not handle your claims. They …   more ›

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Christie and Obama Express Disappointment Over Delay in Sandy Aid

Vote on a $60.4 billion aid package delayed in Congress.

Gov. Chris Christie and President Barack Obama each released statements Wednesday expressing disappointment over the failure of the House of Representatives to vote on the $60.4 billion Hurricane Sandy Aid Package and urged Congress to make the bill a priority when it reconvenes Thursday.  Though the U.S. Senate approved the bill Friday, Congress failed to act on the bill, at different times criticizing the allocation of some of its funding, considering splitting the aid package into separate bills, and putting it off until a deal was reached on the impending "fiscal cliff."  Eventually, the decision was made to table it until the New Year. Christie issued a joint statement with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo late Wednesday morning chastising …

UPDATE: Congress Shelves $60 Billion in Sandy Recovery Money; NJ Reps Blame GOP

Frank Lautenberg, Chris Smith and other New Jersey-area congressman rip Congressional leadership for failing to pass the bill

Officials from states hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy blasted Congressional Republicans on Wednesday for not passing a bill that would fund $60 billion toward recovery efforts. In a release, Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg said the move denies aid to "families, communities and businesses that were devastated by one of the worst storms to ever hit the United States. “Denying emergency aid to Superstorm Sandy victims is a new low for House Republicans,” Lautenberg said. Lautenberg said Congress should put partisan politics aside, as it does for other disaster recovery efforts, and "extend a helping hand to help them get back up." "Helping struggling families recover from disasters has never been a partisan issue in Washington and it never …

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