Press Releases

Over the weekend, President Biden approved Governor Hochul's request for a major disaster declaration for Rockland, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties but did not approve funding for Westchester County or individual homeowner assistance.

Pearl River, NY, 7/24/23... Yesterday, Representative Mike Lawler and Assemblyman Matt Slater sent a letter to President Biden on behalf of their Hudson Valley constituents who are struggling to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of devastating floods that rocked the Hudson Valley earlier this month.

Representative Lawler and Assemblyman Slater thanked President Biden for approving assistance to Rockland, Putnam, and Dutchess County localities while also urging the President to expeditiously approve individual homeowner assistance and add Westchester County to the disaster declaration. Portions of Westchester County, particularly Yorktown, Cortlandt Manor, and Mount Pleasant, sustained heavy damage during the storms. 

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Representative Lawler surveyed storm damage across the Hudson Valley and joined Assemblyman Slater in visiting some of the areas in Westchester County that had been most impacted, including neighborhoods in Jefferson Valley and The Links at Valley Fields, a Shrub Oak golf course which had just fully opened a day before the storms. 

"It is a harsh reality that the aftermath of such a disaster brings considerable financial hardship for homeowners who are struggling to rebuild. This federal aid will undoubtedly ease the financial burden and help homeowners recover in full," said Representative Lawler and Assemblyman Slater. "While some areas in Westchester experienced more damage than others, many municipalities face a daunting and costly recovery that they cannot go alone."

"By granting individual homeowner assistance and extending the disaster declaration to include these hard-hit areas, we can ensure a more equitable distribution of resources, alleviating the burden on taxpayers and expediting the recovery process," the two lawmakers concluded.

New York's 17th Congressional District is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. All four counties are under a State of Emergency declaration in the aftermath of last weekend’s storms and flooding.