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PATERSON - U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08), an original member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, today commended President Obama for his swift action in declaring a Federal Emergency in New Jersey in response to Hurricane Sandy.
"I thank President Obama for quickly approving the Governor's request for a federal assistance prior to Hurricane Sandy's landfall in New Jersey. We need the full resources of local, county, state and now the federal government to respond to this storm of unprecedented size bearing down on our state" said Rep. Pascrell, who submitted a letter of support to President Obama for the Governor's request of federal assistance. "We know that after the coast takes the brunt of the storm, residents in northern New Jersey will have to deal with hazards from gusting winds, power outages and dangerously high river levels. The federal designation ensures that our local governments and first responders know that federal government will be there to support their work to help those in harm's way."
The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is authorized to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding.
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