Date: 2005-09-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 426 provides that suspensions will be in order at any time on the legislative day of Thursday. September 8. 2005. This resolution will allow the House to consider and debate legislation to address the needs of the hurricaneravaged areas of the Gulf Coast in our country. such as increased borrowing authority for the National Flood Insurance program. the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act. the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act. and a supplemental emergency appropriations bill. Mr. Speaker. my community in South Florida was very fortunate that we did not have to bear the full brunt of this latest hurricane. Hurricane Katrina. Over a million of us in South Florida lost electricity. Many homes and businesses were flooded and some structural damage was caused to homes and busineses. but we did not bear the full brunt. the full fury of this latest hurricane. Katrina. We in South Florida were very fortunate as well to receive generous aid from fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. As a Hurricane Andrew survivor. I have an idea of the trials and tribulations that face hurricane survivors. I am also very much aware that assistance from the Federal Government is essential for a comprehensive and robust recovery effort. With that said. I wish to make clear to our friends in the Gulf Coast that we will continue to mobilize nationwide in response to this tragedy. we will remain steadfast in our commitment to the recovery effort. and we will not walk away from our obligations to our fellow Americans. Just as we did after Hurricane Andrew. Mr. Speaker. together it is that we *ill rebuild and together it is that we will recover. In response to this terrible disaster. the majority leadership of this House has set out a plan to continue helping the victims of this terrible catastrophe. Last week. the House of Representatives passed emergency funding totaling $10.5 billion to provide urgently needed relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Congress needs to do more for the victims of this catastrophe. and we will. We will consider. I am certain. other supplemental bills. and they will provide additional billions for recovery and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast. The American people have demonstrated their resiliency. before and will do so again. We will continue to work to comfort those who suffer. Rescue workers are at this moment lined up across this great Nation to support the recovery effort that is under way. and volunteers from every corner of America are ready to support those efforts. Our prayers continue to go out to the victims. to their families and to all the valiant rescue workers. The spirit of community. of generosity and good will across the country gives me confidence that Louisiana. Mississippi and Alabama will recover from this tragedy. and they will be better than ever before. House Resolution 426. Mr. Speaker. is a necessary rule for our efforts to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I would like to say a special word of thanks to the Speaker. to the majority leader. to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and to the minority leadership for their swift action on this issue as was begun to be demonstrated last week. I urge my colleagues. Mr. Speaker. to support both the rule and support the emergency legislation that is authorized under this rule. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.