WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to include Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) disaster relief funding in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill in advance of the committee’s consideration of the bill today.
“FHWA disaster relief funding will help our cities and towns begin to rebuild highways and bridges damaged by the flooding,” Senator Casey wrote in a letter to the committee. “It is imperative that we take action now to ensure sufficient resources are available to appropriately respond to natural disasters.”
Senator Casey has coordinated with local and state officials on the phone and on the ground in northeastern, central and southeastern Pennsylvania since the disastrous flooding earlier this month and continues to work for federal support to help communities recover.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:
As you prepare to mark up the fiscal 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, I urge you to include Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) disaster relief funding.
As you know, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee wreaked havoc across the east coast, including on my home state of Pennsylvania. In my recent travels around the Commonwealth, I have witnessed first-hand the destruction caused by the flooding. It is imperative that we take action now to ensure sufficient resources are available to appropriately respond to natural disasters.
FHWA disaster relief funding will help our cities and towns begin to rebuild highways and bridges damaged by the flooding. I have been informed that the preliminary assessment of damage caused by Hurricane Irene in Pennsylvania is approximately $10 million, and the assessments from Tropical Storm Lee are still being conducted. It is our responsibility to direct federal resources to recovery efforts so municipalities are not unduly burdened.
Thank you for consideration of my views.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
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