[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 173 (Wednesday, January 2, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H7576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for 2\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I want to wish you the best. I'm glad 
there's one more Democrat, but I'm not glad that you're leaving. You're 
a gentleman.
  Look, I don't think that this is time for a pedantic debate. As we 
say in Jersey, it is time calmly, cooly to take the gloves off. This is 
the time. There is precedent here. I would suggest to the Governors 
that they should bring us to court. It's fitting.
  Not only did we pass the money for Katrina in a very short period of 
time--part of it was by a voice vote. Can you imagine? Part of it was 
by a voice vote within a few days after that disaster. Mr. Cantor voted 
for Katrina aid; Mr. Boehner did; Mr. Ryan did; Mr. McCarthy did, as 
did nearly every Member of the Congress from the New Jersey and New 
York regions. In fact, New Jersey and the other States that were hit by 
Sandy are some of the biggest donor States, that is, we send a lot of 
taxes to the Federal Government. Now we need our colleagues to step up 
to the plate.
  As everyone knows, Sandy caused significant damage. In Bergen County, 
north Jersey--my district--first responders had to evacuate entire 
towns when the Hackensack River rose over a berm. The Moonachie Police 
Department will soon be housing trailers and be reimbursed. So let them 
come to north Jersey. Let them come to Connecticut at the shore of 
Jersey. Let them come to Long Island and Staten Island and Pennsylvania 
and Maryland. Let them come. Let them see. The mayor of Little Ferry is 
just one of the many people in that community whose house was decimated 
by the high water.
  Look, we are, unfortunately, dealing with a schizophrenic leadership 
on the other side. Let's call it for what it is. Let's not mince words. 
State and local finances, which are already stretched too thin, allow 
for the limited or no ability of an area to rebuild alone. Because of 
the storm, the result will be one of depressed tax collections. We've 
been working with the Members of the House Ways and Means Committee to 
draft legislation modeled on tax relief.
  Mr. Speaker, as I said, good luck to you. God bless your family.
  God bless all of you for coming here this morning. We thought we'd 
have a shortened week, but our work is still ahead of us. This is the 
time to stop debating and take the gloves off--Jersey style.

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