9th District Reps Slam Christie's Veto Of Clawbacks Bill

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ - Members of the 9th District delegation in Ocean County are calling Gov. Chris Christie's last minute veto of a bill that would have provided relief to Superstorm Sandy victims as "outrageous."

“As representatives of a legislative district in which thousands were displaced by the catastrophic damage, we are outraged that Governor Christie pocket vetoed the clawback bill and failed to extend this needed lifeline to affected Sandy victims," the three said in a prepared statement.

The legislation was passed by both the state Senate and members of the state House of Representatives. But when it got to Chris, he vetoed it in the waning days of his administration.

The bill addressed circumstances where Superstorm Sandy victims were required to send back overpayments, known as "clawbacks" in Sandy assistance said.

The all-GOP 9th district delegation co-sponsored the bill, which was introduced by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-15.

The members of the 9th District delegation issued the following statement regarding Governor’s Christie’s pocket veto of the Sandy clawback bill:

“For those Sandy victims who’ve had too many sleepless nights contending with an endless bureaucratic nightmare, we worked together with the New Jersey Organizing Project to advance this legislation with the intent of providing the necessary assistance, including mediation, to help resolve clawback cases," according to the statement.

The legislative trio relied heavily on the input and expertise of the New Jersey Organizing Project during the legislative process.

The group was founded by Superstorm Sandy survivors who had to take action because recovery programs often left Sandy families out in the cold, according to the New Jersey Organizing Project's website

'“It became readily apparent that corrective action was required in the face of what many viewed as the unacceptable practices of a callous bureaucratic process that wasn’t offering alternatives – just ultimatums – to those with legitimate grievances and hardships," according to the 9th District statement.

Have you experienced any clawback problems? Let us know in the comments section below.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller