New York officials, concerned that President Bush had been slow to make good on his pledge to provide $20 billion in post-Sept. 11 federal aid to the city, have some encouraging news. On March 7, Bush said he would ask Congress for an additional $5.5 billion for New York. Two days later, he signed an economic stimulus bill that contains $5 billion in tax breaks over the next decade. Including $10.7 billion already approved by Washington, the new pledges would bring New York's total assistance to $21.2 billion.
"It is essential that New York City come back and come back strong, for the good of the entire nation," Bush said. The announcements, coinciding with the March 11 six-month anniversary of the attacks, brought some relief to New York officials under pressure to move forward on redevelopment of lower Manhattan. At a joint press briefing, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) and New York Gov. George Pataki (R) noted the fast pace of Ground Zero cleanup, with 83% of debris removed and costs "dramatically less" than the original $1.2 billion estimate. "The exciting thing about this proposal is that it...does not simply replace what was destroyed, much of which was obsolete," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).