Date: 2010-11-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the distinguished gentleman. and particularly. I thank the Ways and Means Committee. both the managers on the floor today. Mr. MCDERMOTT and Ms. BROWNWAITE. for their leadership. and I thank the entire Texas delegation and as well my good friend Mr. OLSON. who I know will be appearing on the floor. for his leadership. along with Mr. CORNYN. We worked together. This is a bipartisan effort and I am glad to be on the floor because we tried to do this on September 29. and I dont think we made our story clear. This is not a Texas issue. In fact. this issue impacts all of the disasters that occurred in 2008. and I would like to. Mr. Speaker. simply call some of the names: The State of Colorado. the State of Florida. Georgia. Illinois. the State of Iowa. the State of Mississippi. the State of Missouri. the States of Nevada. Oklahoma. Texas. and West Virginia. among the many that did not get a chance to help the desperate. And so Id like to particularly thank today. in addition to the members of the Texas delegation. Majority Leader HOYER. who continued to work with us and to ensure that we can move this as quickly as possible. and his staff. Terry Lierman and Austin Burnes. who also worked closely with my staff. Yohannes Tsehai and Shashrina Thomas. to bring this to the floor along with my colleagues. Thousands of families who were victims of Hurricane Ike stopped receiving SSBG funds September 30. 2010. because the legislatively mandated deadline for these funds expired. We made and I made concerted efforts with the Department of Health and Human Services. and I would like to introduce into the RECORD a letter written by my office on September 21. 2010. as well as a letter written back from the Secretary of Health and Human Services. October 1. 2010. from which I read this sentence: "As soon as Congress restores the availability of Hurricane Ike SSBG funding. we will work expeditiously to implement the legislation and make the funds available to those doing the important work of assisting victims rebuild their lives." There lies the story. Mr. Speaker. Rebuilding lives. For those of us who walked the streets after Hurricane Ike and for the many Members of Congress who walked the streets of their respective disasters. we know what disasters are all about. Not bricks and mortar. Disasters are about the human devastation that faces individuals. lost and lonely. not knowing where to go. Hurricane Ike was the thirdcostliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States. Ike made its final landfall near Galveston. Texas. a strong Category 2 hurricane with a Category 5 equivalent storm surge. It devastated the island. but it also impacted Houston and my congressional district. It was a huge hurricane. some 500 miles across. making it nearly as big as Texas itself. and its hurricaneforce winds extended 120 miles from the center. It was blamed for at least 195 deaths overall. with substantial death and injury in Texas. The hurricane also resulted in the largest evacuation of Texas in the States history. An estimated 100.000 homes were flooded in Texas. numerous boats washed away. smashing and flooding homes. knocking out windows. cutting electricity to an estimated 2.8 million to 4.5 million. Most of the people were devastated because the electricity went out for almost 8 weeks. And they were individuals without the ability to go to work and their jobs were cut off. So these dollars will not be misused. The important point of this legislation is. there is a PAYGO provision in it. It will not spend more money. It will only have the opportunity to use the dollars that are already there. For those of us who have faced disaster. whether it is Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Rita. the floods in the Midwest. or the various tornadoes that occur throughout our area. or the hurricanes that seem to come every year to the gulf region. I can assure you that these dollars are coming none too soon. I want to thank the administrations Secretary Sebelius who has indicated that they will move quickly. As this bill passes. we hope that this will move quickly to the Presidents desk. the bill is signed. and these moneys will come forward. Let me acknowledge the groups that we have worked with: Angela Blanchard of the Neighborhood Centers. Harold Fattig of Catholic Charities. Mr. Raimer of the University of Texas Medical Branch. Mark Minick of Lutheran Social Services. Kristi Allen. Bay Area Council. Stephanie Carmona. Sunshine Center. United Way. Anna Babin. Kenna Bush. United Way of Galveston. Carolyn Rose of the Gulf Coast Center. Joe Compian. Gulf Coast Interfaith. Galveston County Food Bank. Mark Davis. Cindy Schulz. and a very strong worker in Ruama Camp. who worked throughout the area with people who could find no way themselves. So this money will come and help those who are in need of these dollars posthaste. It extends the deadline until September 30. 2011. The bill does not appropriate new funds. as I indicated. and as you well know. theyve extended this in years past with Katrina and Rita. Its a terrible shame to say that people who need help are those who are costing us money. Today. Mr. Speaker. theyre not costing us money. Were helping those who are hardworking Americans. Im delighted to be able to support this legislation. I ask my colleagues to do it. Never forget. we have a role of being a good Samaritan. If you were in need. you would want help. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.