Date: 2010-06-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 1330. a resolution that supports the goals and ideals of National Hurricane Preparedness Week. I also want to thank my colleague. the honorable MARIO DIAZBALART. for introducing this important resolution. My district is in the wake of many hurricanes that make their way into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane season has a profound impact on our way of life in the Gulf. For example. our latest hurricane. Hurricane Ike. wreaked havoc on Texas. particularly in Galveston and Houston. As we moved forward with recovery efforts. it was clear that the impact of this storm has been widespread and many people are still in need of assistance. Lost in the discussion of Sundays World Refugee Day was the group of internally displaced individuals from Ike. Rita. and especially Katrina. Unfortunately. Texans are still in need of help. especially the neglected residents of North Galveston. Let us use this time to examine how FEMA and HUD are responding to citizens so that we can continue to provide the aid people desperately need to fully recover from this storm. I continue working to ensure that Hurricane Ike victims still have access to recovery resources and call for expeditious action. urging a better response and expedited assistance from FEMA. HUD. and local officials. I also call on housing associations to reopen access to housing for Hurricane Ike victims. Just as we saw in the 9th ward of New Orleans. Louisiana PostHurricane Katrina. people in North Galveston have not received the proper access to government aid to rebuild and recover. In fact. there is still much more rebuilding and desperate need of housing that needs to be done to restore North Galveston and assist the residents who remain there. We cannot allow the hurricane victims to be forgotten. Throughout the PostHurricane Ike recovery efforts. many individuals have had difficulties and challenges getting the government aid that they need to rebuild after the storm. Many have lost their jobs or are at risk of losing their employment due to damages incurred by the hurricane. including the more than 2.400 employees of the University of Texas Medical Branch. UTMB. who were recently terminated. We must protect our citizens and their means of living as we continue to recover from this storm. There are men. women. and children who have lost so much due to flood waters and storm winds. I have been proud to stand up repeatedly in Congress to fight on their behalf by securing the necessary Federal funds. We must work together to ensure that our Nation does its part to help Hurricane Ike victims fully recover by ensuring the delivery of these funds that we worked so hard to appropriate. As a senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee. which has oversight over the Federal Emergency Management Administration. FEMA. I am working to ensure that our communities respond expeditiously to natural disasters. The protection of our homeland and the security of our neighborhoods are at the forefront of my agenda. For the foregoing reasons I stand in support of making this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.