From Gothamist:
Cuomo Wants $30 Billion From Washington To Cover Hurricane Sandy
Governor Cuomo will ask the federal government for $30 billion in aid to help New York State recover from Hurricane Sandy, the NY Times reports. The $30 billion figure is five times the initial damage guesstimate floated by Cuomo two days after Sandy's surge, when he wrote in a letter to President Obama that "initial estimates project up to $6 billion in lost economic revenue in the greater metropolitan area and the state." The new $30 billion number would exceed the $12 billion in FEMA disaster aid currently available in Washington, and would require action from Congress.
According to the Times, Cuomo's strategy involves persuading the federal government to make an emergency appropriation during a lame-duck session of Congress that begins on Tuesday. Of course, the request comes at a moment when fiscal belt-tightening is the dominant narrative in Washington, and it will be interesting to see how the relief money is used in budget negotiations with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. And Cuomo isn't the only one with his hand out: other states hammered by Sandy will also be seeking federal relief funds, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia....MORE
As Senator Schumer said last week "They can get it from the deficit".
