Christie: Congress ‘A Little Late’ With Sandy Aid

MANAHAWKIN, N.J. (AP) —

Gov. Chris Christie said the Hurricane Sandy aid package Congress approved Tuesday will help expedite rebuilding after the superstorm, but he poked federal lawmakers for being “a little late to the party.”

Christie reminded an overflow audience at his 100th town hall that he called out House Speaker John Boehner for delaying a vote on aid to the devastated Northeast. But the governor was in better spirits Wednesday after the House voted to send $50.5 billion to storm-battered states. A prior vote allocated $9.7 billion to pay flood insurance claims.

“A little delayed, a little late to the party,” Christie said of Tuesday night’s vote. “But if you’re coming with $60 billion, you can be a little late.”

Christie said the aid will help New Jersey begin rebuilding in earnest after the late October superstorm, the worst natural disaster in New Jersey’s history, which caused $36.9 billion in damage and rebuilding costs. The governor said he expects the Jersey Shore to be largely rebuilt by 2014, but cautioned against unrealistic expectations for the upcoming tourist season.

“There simply isn’t enough time between now and the Fourth of July, say, to get everything done, for everybody’s homes to be rebuilt, for every business to be up and running again,” said Christie. “What we’re hoping to do for this coming summer is to make the Jersey Shore functional and livable again.”

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