NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — January 9, 2013 — U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., said Wednesday he intends to file an amendment to the Hurricane Sandy relief bill that will include $150 million for fisheries disaster relief.
"My amendment takes responsible steps to increase the funds for fisheries disaster relief from $5 million to $150 million — the amount approved by the Senate on a bipartisan basis. The $5 million suggested by House Republicans is insufficient, and we can and should do better," Tierney said in an email to The Standard-Times.
His amendment might face an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled House, however.
Hurricane Sandy made it a double disaster for the already collapsing Northeast fishery but, as it stands, disaster relief as proposed by Congress ranges from slim to none.
Next week, the House Rules Committee is expected to consider two bills providing disaster relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and possibly the fisheries.
Between the two, they contain the balance of the relief sought in last year's Senate bill.
But only one of them contains any fisheries money, and not much at that.
While last year's Senate relief bill included $150 million for fisheries from the $60 billion total, the current House proposal contains just $5 million.
Read the full story in the New Bedford Standard Times