Gov't Shutdown Could Delay Sandy Rebuilding

TRENTON, NJ-If Congress fails to pass a temporary spending bill that would avoid a shutdown of the federal government, rebuilding along the Jersey Shore may be delayed.

The federal budget crisis and the potent for a government shutdown could not come at a worse time for those residents trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy, says Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Nature brought the storm, but the government shutdown will make the disaster worse,” he says.

The Obama administration released detailed plans on Friday regarding which federal employees would and would not work during a shutdown. While workers distributing money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund would remain on the job, almost all employees at HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development, which handles grants to cities and states for rebuilding, would be furloughed, according to the Asbury Park Press.

“If a grantee for Hurricane Sandy has money in the system, they can continue to draw down on that,” HUD spokesman Jerry Brown says. “Beyond that, there will be no new money loaded until the employees are back. For all essential purposes, that office will be closed.” See story in the Asbury Park Press.