[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HURRICANE SANDY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to join in the remarks of the 
majority leader. What a disappointment to learn that last night the 
House of Representatives failed to bring up the supplemental 
appropriations bill, which is to provide relief for the victims of 
Hurricane Sandy.
  The Senate passed this bill not that long ago--just a few days ago. 
Mr. President, $60.4 billion in a supplemental appropriations passed 
here by a vote of 62 to 32--a strong bipartisan vote. It did not 
include everything the Governors of New York and New Jersey and other 
States had asked for, but it did provide critical funding to help those 
who lost their homes and their businesses.
  We expected the House to act on this bill. To say this is a no-
brainer is to overstate the obvious. We rally as an American family 
when many of us are in need. I can remember this very well in my own 
State.
  In 2008, Illinois and other Midwestern States had a similar 
situation. A massive storm was heading our way and flooding from the 
Mississippi River was inevitable. I visited several towns along the 
Mississippi back then, including Quincy, IL. Then-Senator Obama and I 
came to Quincy and pitched in--filling sandbags with thousands of other 
volunteers.
  We worked through Father's Day to help mitigate the oncoming flood, 
but it still came, and there was serious damage. Just like the people 
in New York and New Jersey, these people did everything they could 
before and after and during the storm to save their homes, businesses, 
and the lives of their loved ones. But the magnitude of our 2008 storm 
was too big for local and State governments to handle.
  The magnitude of the flood, just like Hurricane Sandy, required 
action from Congress and the Federal Government. We passed a 
supplemental appropriations bill for Illinois and the Midwest in 2008. 
That aid was essential to helping the victims of that flood in our 
State.
  I have served in Congress for over 20 years, and every time--every 
time--some section of our Nation has been victimized by a disaster, we 
have come together as an American family to help those in need. We draw 
on our national treasure and the efforts of American people across the 
country to come to the rescue of our neighbors in need.
  The time to help New York and New Jersey and other States victimized 
by Hurricane Sandy is now, but the Republican leadership in the House 
has abandoned those victims with a decision to let this bill die. In 
New York and New Jersey more than 651,000 homes were damaged or 
destroyed, 463,000 businesses were hurt and need assistance. According 
to the Senators from those States, that either matches or exceeds the 
magnitude of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina that struck the States 
on our southern coast on the Gulf of Mexico.
  Hundreds of miles of roads and rail were damaged and will need to be 
repaired. However, the rebuilding is on hold because of a political 
decision by the Speaker of the House and Republican leadership. I can 
tell you, I know full well--because Senator Schumer is in the 
leadership, and I have watched as he and Senator Gillibrand, Senator 
Menendez, Senator Lautenberg, and others have worked to build a 
bipartisan coalition in the House to pass this critical measure--all it 
needed was to be called by the Speaker, and the Speaker refused.
  But there is still time. There is time in the 112th Congress for the 
House to pass the Senate bill. I urgently beg the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives to put any political concerns aside, and for the 
sake of these victims and victims of other disasters across America to 
pass this critically important bill as quickly as possible.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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