{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=162", "Booker, Menendez, Pallone, HUD Sec. Castro Survey Progress - Hear from Residents on Sandy 2nd Anniversary", "2014-10-30", "2014", "2014-10", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 30, 2014\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tUNION BEACH, N.J. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, both D-N.J., as well as Congressman Frank Pallone welcomed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Juli\u00e1n Castro to New Jersey on the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy to see firsthand the real work left to be done in the recovery process and hear from residents still waiting for assistance to return to their homes.  They were joined by Sandy victims and recovery advocates.\n\u201cTwo years ago, Superstorm Sandy slammed into New Jersey, flooded our cities and towns, and ravaged the Shore. So many people can still feel the effects,\u201d said Sen. Booker. \u201cI am going to be relentless in my efforts to ensure New Jersey receives its cut of federal resources so that we can rebuild and rebuild smartly.\u201d\n\u201cIn the two years since Sandy, we have made important progress, but the work is far from over,\u201d said Sen. Menendez.  \u201cWhen it came to rebuilding roads, bridges and businesses, federal funds moved quickly to the State and made an impact.  Yet, for too many New Jerseyans, the recovery is not only incomplete\u2014it hasn\u2019t even begun.\u201d\nDespite signs of new construction two years after the storm, much of this middle and working class community along Monmouth County\u2019s Bayshore remains littered with damaged properties, abandoned homes and empty lots where houses once stood.\n\"Across New Jersey we have neighborhoods that are turning the page on the past and building towards a stronger future,\" said HUD Secretary Juli\u00e1n Castro. \"HUD is committed to being a partner with the State of New Jersey and its various communities to ensure that we continue to provide resources to those homeowners and businesses that were impacted and so that these communities can continue to make progress and persevere.\"\n\"Two years ago, Sandy ravaged New Jersey and we are still in the process of recovering,\u201d Rep. Pallone said.  \u201cI am encouraged by the progress we have made to date but I know much more remains to be done.  I am pleased that HUD Secretary Juli\u00e1n Castro has come to Union Beach to see firsthand what we have accomplished and where additional work remains.  I know we are both committed to ensuring all those affected by Superstorm Sandy are given the resources they need to fully recover and we won't stop fighting until we achieve a full recovery.\"\nWhile HUD reports New Jersey\u2019s recovery has fared better than other Sandy-affected states, it acknowledges that much work still remains to be done and that it will continue to closely monitor the State\u2019s progress.\nAccording to HUD, over 75% of environmental reviews have been completely for eligible homeowners who applied for assistance through the State\u2019s Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (\u201cRREM\u201d) program, but more than two-thirds of eligible applicants are still waiting for payment from the state and more than 80% haven\u2019t even begun construction.\nThe Secretary, Senators and Congressman heard directly from Sandy victims and recovery advocates during a roundtable discussion held in the uninhabitable home of a Union Beach resident.  Maria McQuarrie, her husband and daughter are forced to live in a trailer on their front lawn while they continue to wait for their RREM check to complete work on their house, which was destroyed by Sandy.  Like many storm victims, the McQuarries report they exhausted all available rental assistance and began receiving foreclosure notices when they were unable to pay their mortgage, property taxes and rent.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=162"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7484359666705132, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}