WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) today applauded passage of $50.7 billion in federal assistance for Connecticut and other states still recovering from Superstorm Sandy. This bill provides the balance of the Sandy recovery funding requested by President Obama, after the House approved $9.7 billion earlier this month to keep the National Flood Insurance Program afloat.

“After over 75 days of uncertainty for victims of the worst storm the East Coast has ever seen, I am pleased that Congress finally passed a bill to give individuals and businesses the help they so desperately need,” said Himes. “I look forward to working with FEMA and the SBA to ensure that Connecticut gets the assistance it has been waiting for.”

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act provides $50.7 billion in emergency funding to reimburse local governments for storm response, help individuals and businesses to rebuild damaged property, and mitigate the impact of future disasters. The bill provides immediate relief for victims in the form of temporary housing, unemployment assistance, and other types of individual and community aid. Himes worked to rebuff efforts to eliminate the long-term assistance for Sandy victims usually provided to cities and towns to rebuild damaged and improve damaged infrastructure to help prevent future damage. The bill also provides funding for Army Corps of Engineers flood-prevention projects and housing programs.