Sens. Menendez, Booker Announce Over $45M to Support NJ's COVID-19 Response

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 17, 2021:

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced that New Jersey has received $45,631,466.09 in disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue to support the state's COVID-19 response and recovery. The funding reimburses entities for 100% of their coronavirus-related expenses. After Sen. Menendez's years-long push to reform how FEMA responds to disasters, the agency answered his call to eliminate the cost-sharing requirements for disaster grants.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched our state's resources thin, but with the elimination of local cost-sharing and this additional federal funding, our state will be able to continue to respond to and more quickly recover from the impacts of this pandemic," said Sen. Menendez. "This additional funding will ensure our communities, health care providers, and first responders have the resources they need to protect the health and safety of all New Jerseyans."

"While we have made significant progress in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, we must ensure New Jersey has the federal funding required to continue to respond to this crisis," said Sen. Booker. "This grant money will help ensure that our state and our hospitals have the critical resources necessary to protect the health and well-being of our residents."

Table can be viewed at https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-booker-announce-over-45m-to-support-njs-covid-19-response

In May, Sen. Menendez led bipartisan legislation to eliminate cost-share payments required of states and communities included in federal disaster declarations in 2020. He also led bipartisan requests from both the New Jersey congressional delegation and his Senate colleagues calling on President Trump to completely eliminate the local cost-sharing for FEMA disaster grants. Sen. Booker joined him in those efforts.