President Obama promised Hurricane Sandy victims maximum federal help, vowing today that any calls from public officials in the storm zone to feds would be returned in 15 minutes.
The president and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie toured devastated communities of south Jersey this afternoon.
“We’re going to have a lot of work to do,” Obama said, standing next to Christie.
“What I can promise you is that the federal government will be working as closely as possible with the state and local officials and we will not quit until this is done.”
The president said that if government officials in Sandy-struck areas ask feds to jump, Obama’s team will ask how high.
“The directive I have given … we are not going to tolerate red tape, we are not going to tolerate bureaucracy,” Obama said.
“’I’ve instituted a 15-minute rule essentially on my team — you return everybody’s phone calls in 15 minutes whether it’s the mayors, the governors, country officials, if they need something, we figure out a way to say yes.”
Christie, an ardent supporter of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has effusively lauded Obama and FEMA’s response to Hurricane Sandy’s devastation.
The Jersey chief executive took a fun swipe at Jersey shore resident who didn’t evacuate before Sandy struck.
“For all of you who are here … who disregarded my admonition to get the hell out of here, you know, you are forgiven this time, you are forgiven this time, but not for much longer,” he said.
“You look to your right and left, to your husband or wife, to your son or daughter, those are the things that can’t be replaced.”