[ by Melanie Gretchen ]

Governors Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo lashed out at members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 1/2/13, after the $60.4 billion Superstorm Sandy Disaster Aid Bill was pushed aside and without explanation.  The action taken by the lower house of Congress was tantamount to "a slap in the face," given the burdens that residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut still continue to face.  Governors Christie and Cuomo charged the lawmakers with a "dereliction of duty." 

Certain Republican House members expressed concern with the bill, saying it contained a lot of pork that had nothing to do with Superstorm Sandy.  An example given was funding for Alaskan fisheries. 

What hurts the most is that coastline areas in all 3 states still are uninhabitable - for living or working.  Thousands of individuals are out of work, are homeless, and will have no access to their neighborhoods for months.  Many office buildings in lower New York cannot be used because building infrastucture and machinery were destroyed and cannot be repaired for months, in some cases.  

It's been 2 months since the storm made landfall - and apparently, New York and its surrounding communities once again gets the short end of the stick.  "This continued inaction and indifference ... is inexcusable."

For further details, go to [Reuters, 1/2/13].