Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’ll press the federal government for resources to aid New York City following heavy flooding on Friday.

“I will work to secure any federal assistance possible to fund relief efforts and aid those who need to rebuild from the flood damage,” he said.

Schumer said he spoke with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell throughout the day. He said FEMA committed equipment and other help to deal with the immediate aftermath, as well as longer-term resources to help rebuild and recover.

“New York needs help,” Schumer said. The storm has hammered the New York City area and yielded considerable early criticism about the government response.

Why this is worth watching: Senators have already been keen to include disaster relief dollars in a short-term government funding patch. But Schumer’s personal interest in getting relief dollars done may provide a further jolt to those efforts as talks continue to unfold.

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