Lowey Criticizes Disaster Relief Voting Delay

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), incoming Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Wednesday issued the following statement regarding Speaker Boehner’s plan to move forward in January on emergency disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy:                                         

“It is a fundamental obligation of the federal government to help families, businesses, and communities affected by natural disasters recover and rebuild.  A bipartisan majority of the Senate voted last week to meet this responsibility, and had a vote occurred last night, a bipartisan majority of the House would have done so as well.

“While passing emergency disaster relief should have been completed before the end of the 112th Congress, it is good to learn of House Republican leadership’s commitment to make Sandy victims the first priority of the 113th Congress.  

“Now that this commitment to consider the full supplemental appropriations package has been made, I will continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure it is kept.”