The Lakewood Vaad thanks Congressman Chris Smith for his hard work that led to the passage last week of the “Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act.”

This legislation ensures that religious houses of worship damaged by hurricanes are eligible for FEMA disaster relief funds, just as other nonprofit institutions are. Although FEMA allocates significant funds to assist nonprofit institutions that have been ravaged by natural disasters, until now they deliberately excluded houses of worship, religious schools and other religious institutions.

After Hurricane Sandy devastated our region, Congressman Smith sprang into action, and he reached out to FEMA for fairness for religious institutions. FEMA turned him flat down, citing a lack of clarity as to the law that governs such relief. While many of these institutions sustained severe long term damage, they waited endlessly for relief that never came.

Congressman Smith worked on this issue relentlessly since then. He introduced the ultimately successful bill to Congress, which was cosponsored by Representatives Peter King and Grace Meng of New York. Following the recent Hurricanes Irma and Jose, in which many religious institutions sustained damage, there was a sea change. The Trump administration supported the legislation and Congressman Smith and the cosponsors were able to rally additional support amongst their peers. These institutions, and the communities that rely on them, can now expect to receive desperately needed relief.

“Throughout his decades of public service, Congressman Smith has excelled as an advocate for religious freedom around the world,” says Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg of The Lakewood Vaad. “This legislation is yet another one of the many victories that the Congressman has won on behalf of Americans of good faith.”