Rep. Michael Grimm of New York said the event had been peppered with occasional lighter moments such as speculation after word got around the room that the new pope was about to be announced.

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On Monday, Bloomberg was joined by officials from communities with the heaviest damage, including Rep. Michael Grimm, R-Staten Island, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, and various City Council members from the hardest hit areas.

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"Michael Grimm has shown time and again that he will side with his right-wing extremist friends in Congress rather than working, middle class families, " a spokesman for Mr. Murphy said, pointing to the incumbent's lack of support for increasing the minimum wage and his vote for Republican-backed changes to Medicare.

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