But Rogers added, "It is also our responsibility during these tight budget times to make sure that the victims of this storm are getting the most of every single recovery dollar and to ensure that disaster funds are timed and targeted in the most efficient and appropriate manner.”
Construction-related components of the OMB request include:
—$17 billion for the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grants, which can be used for a wide range of purposes, including housing and infrastructure. That includes $15 billion for the near-term recovery phase and $2 billion for the longer-term mitigation phase.
—$11.7 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, primarily for repairs to the New York City-area and New Jersey transit systems inundated by Sandy. Of that amount, $6.2 billion would be for near-term work and $5.5 billion for longer-range mitigation.
—$11 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund, which can go for aid to individuals, infrastructure repairs and other purposes.
—$5.3 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including $1.5 billion for near-term repairs to civil-works facilities and additional dredging and $3.8 billion for longer-term mitigation.
Other parts of the plan include funds to repair Coast Guard and other military facilities as well as Dept. of Veterans Affairs hospitals and National Park Service facilities, such as Statue of Liberty Island and Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
