New Jersey Congressmen Call For FEMA Hearings

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur was joined by all twelve Members of the New Jersey delegation in urging the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold hearings on FEMA's role in fraudulent practices used to deny Sandy victims insurance claims:

"Survivors of Superstorm Sandy have been mistreated in our state, and after a meeting with a senior FEMA official, I am even more convinced that we must look into FEMA's role in denying New Jerseyans their full insurance claims," MacArthur said. "Brad Kieserman, Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance at FEMA left us with more questions than answers about how this fraud was allowed to go on for so long. It's time to investigate this situation, and I am hopeful that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will do so quickly."

"Helping Sandy victims is not a partisan issue," MacArthur added. "The entire New Jersey delegation agrees that it's time for something to be done."

“Nearly two and a half years after Superstorm Sandy, homeowners are still fighting for the full compensation they deserve,” said Congressman Chris Smith, who represents parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties hit hard by Sandy. “The fraud perpetrated in the aftermath of the storm has seriously undermined both the public’s faith and policyholder confidence in the NFIP. Congress must continue aggressive oversight of FEMA to ensure it works with all stakeholders to restore accountability to the NFIP.”

"As if the storm wasn't devastating enough, thousands of Sandy victims now need to deal with the possibility that they were swindled out of their full compensation," said Congressman Donald Norcross. "Those potentially harmed deserve answers from FEMA and its affiliates, and as their Representatives in Congress we are committed to investigate these reports until each and every family is justly compensated."

"Oversight hearings will ensure accountability and expose potential fraud committed at the expense of Superstorm Sandy survivors," Congressman Leonard Lance said. "I applaud Congressman MacArthur for leading the New Jersey delegation effort."

“It’s important that every dollar that is supposed to go to the victims of Superstorm Sandy is accounted for and delivered so New Jersey can recover from this terrible disaster," Congressman Scott Garrett said. "We need to investigate who at NFIP and FEMA knew about these fraudulent practices, why they were never acted upon, and who will be held responsible for this complete abuse of the public’s trust.”

The full text of the letter to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform can be read here.