[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 172 (Tuesday, January 1, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H7562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I do join my colleagues in 
asking that the Speaker reconsider. I want to thank Majority Leader 
Eric Cantor who has worked tirelessly through these many days right up 
to the last couple of minutes. Today, families lack housing, businesses 
are in shambles, and municipalities have been decimated; 346,000 
housing units were damaged or destroyed in New Jersey with 22,000 units 
today uninhabitable. Approximately 100,000 new storm-related 
unemployment claims have been filed in New Jersey--100,000--and over 
235,000 people have already registered with FEMA for individual 
assistance.
  This is a dire crisis. People are hurting. I talk to people in my 
district who have been mal-affected, and they're looking to us for 
help, and they're looking for timely help. We need to pass this.
  Please, Mr. Speaker, reconsider.

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