Christie says East Coast waiting 'seven times longer' than Katrina victims for federal help

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slammed Washington once again Wednesday for its slow response in getting aid to Hurricane Sandy victims.

“We’ve waited here now seven times longer than the victims of (Hurricane) Katrina to get help from the federal government,” he said, adding that some people were still waiting.

Christie made his comments Wednesday on the Fox Business Network, one day after his annual State of the State address.

Christie, who is up for re-election this year, has upped his public profile since Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey last October. Last week, he called out House Speaker John Boehner, a fellow Republican, for delaying the vote on a $60.4 billion Sandy aid package.

“I defend the people that elected me and that’s my job and if that means going after my own party sometimes I will,” Christie said Wednesday on FBN’s "Imus in the Morning."

Lawmakers later voted to fund a piece of the aid bill with nearly $10 billion going to replenish the coffers of the national flood insurance program. Congress is scheduled to decide on the remainder of the funding bill later this month. Some have raised concerns that the aid package contains millions of dollars for programs not directly related to storm relief on the East Coast.

The storm, which made landfall on Oct. 29, was blamed for 40 deaths in New Jersey and caused $37 billion in damages.

“I hope by 4th of July you’ll see a lot of the things that used to be at the Jersey shore rebuilt, but it won’t be compete and I think that where we’re really going to be hurting is some of the businesses and some of the rental stock that was there on a weekly basis,” Christie said Wednesday.

This week, Christie was also on the cover of “TIME” magazine and was dubbed ‘The Master of Disaster.’

“I’m reporting TIME magazine to the anti-Italian defamation league,” he joked. “Look at that thing, I mean come on!”