Long Island, NY - February 6, 2015 - U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice is an original cosponsor of the Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015, which was introduced in the House today by Congressman Frank Pallone. Rice’s Long Island district was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy, and victims are still working to rebuild their homes and businesses. Many victims who received Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief grants, and used those funds to rebuild, have now learned that they received overpayments, and FEMA has demanded that these funds be repaid. The Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015 would require FEMA to forgive the debts of those who received overpayments as a result of an honest mistake or an administrative error on the part of the government.
“It’s appropriate and important that FEMA do all it can to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars, but that’s not what we’re talking about here,” said Congresswoman Kathleen Rice. “We’re talking about people who had their homes destroyed and their lives turned upside down by Sandy. People who needed help. They may have made an honest mistake during the overwhelming and confusing application process, or else received an overpayment through no fault of their own. Either way, they can’t afford to be forced into debt after they’ve already used these funds to rebuild their homes, and this legislation will ensure that they don’t have to.”
