WASHINGTON — The Obama administration yesterday requested $60.4 billion from Congress to pay for disaster aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy — a massive amount but still billions short of what New York, New Jersey and Connecticut requested.
The proposed aid package is lower than the $82 billion asked for by the three hardest-hit states but still ranks as the third-largest disaster-relief request ever, behind the Sept. 11 terror attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
Congressional delegation members from the states welcomed the money, saying they would try to pick up the rest in additional spending bills down the road.
The figure was higher than the $55 billion ceiling that the White House indicated earlier in the week. Senators from the states met with White House budget officials on Thursday to try to boost the numbers.
“This supplemental is a very good start, and while the $60 billion doesn’t cover all of New York and New Jersey’s needs, it covers a large percentage,” the senators said in a joint statement.
Gov. Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Chris Christie lobbied actively in DC to try to get as much funding as possible — and they all viewed the current request as a good start in the rebuilding effort.
Included in the package is $17 billion in Community Development Block Grants — viewed as critical in helping to repair or rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by the storm, which numbered 305,000 in New York alone.
Another $9 billion will go to fix the transit systems in the states, plus $11.5 billion in direct disaster-relief aid to people, $12.9 billion for future storm protection and $9.7 billion for damage claims through the National Flood Insurance Program.
The request includes $5.3 billion for the US Army Corps of Engineers for projects to limit damage from future storms.
New York had asked for the most federal help, $41.8 billion, followed by New Jersey, which sought $36.8 billion. Connecticut’s request was for $3.2 billion.
The White House proposal comes at a difficult time on Capitol Hill, as Congress and President Obama are in a standoff over how to avert the so-called fiscal cliff of combined $600 billion in tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts set to kick in on Jan. 1.
“For us coming in and asking for money, it couldn’t happen at a worse time,” said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-LI).
Some Senate and House Republicans want any disaster aid to be paid for through cuts in other parts of the federal budget, known as offsets, which could be a steep hurdle for passage of the disaster bill.
“At this point, the ball is in the president’s court,” said Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a member of the House Budget Committee. “What he needs to do is identify his spending reductions.”
New York delegation members have promised a fight over the offsets if they are proposed.
“Congress must now put aside any political brinkmanship and quickly provide the relief New Yorkers and others desperately need,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
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