TRENTON, NJ-President Barack Obama has promised to sign the long awaited Sandy aid bill that was passed by the Senate Monday night.

The Senate approved the $50.5-billion aid package by a 62-36 margin despite objections by some conservative Senators who questioned the size of the funding that will now flow to affected states that were impacted by the October storm.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut issued a joint statement shortly after the bill's passage expressing their gratitude for the funding approval.

“Despite the difficult path in getting to this moment, the Senate membership clearly recognized early on the urgency and necessity of approving the full aid package and its importance in rebuilding our battered infrastructure and getting our millions of affected residents back on their feet as quickly as possible,” the statement said. “To all Americans, we are grateful for their willingness to come to our aid as we take on the monumental task of rebuilding and we pledge to do the same should our fellow citizens find themselves facing unexpected and harsh devastation.”

The federal Sandy aid funding now totals $60.2 billion, including $9.7 billion the House and Senate approved earlier this month to pay Sandy-related flood insurance claims.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, said after the passage of the aid package, “We now look forward, after this success, to actually having this money to the communities, to the individuals, to those in their homes, to the businesses that have been waiting to make, in essence, life-or-death decisions. And now that will begin.” See story in The Record.

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Obama Vows to Sign $50.5B Sandy Aid Bill

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