IV 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 254 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 5, 2011 Mr. Neugebauer (for himself, Mr. Pearce, and Mr. Bachus) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Encouraging people in the United States to join together in prayer for the victims of the destructive tornadoes and flooding in the South and Midwest and the devastating drought and dangerous wildfires in the South and Southwest.

Whereas the Southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, and Southwest have been experiencing the worst drought conditions in decades; Whereas the southern parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico, the western part of Louisiana, and almost all of Texas are currently designated as either extreme or exceptional drought conditions under the U.S. Drought Monitor categories; Whereas some of these areas have received no rainfall for three months and long-range forecasts indicate the drought could persist through May; Whereas the exceptionally dry conditions and high winds have led to wildfires that have burned nearly 2,000,000 acres of land in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and taking many lives; Whereas the drought has endangered agricultural crop production and livestock health, resulting in a major financial crisis for the farmers and ranchers of the region; Whereas severe weather, including tornadoes, massive flooding, large hail, and intense thunderstorms have had major effects on certain regions of the United States, including the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee; Whereas these storms have devastated communities, caused hundreds of deaths and casualties, and resulted in long-term economic damage to the region; Whereas the Southern United States has experienced some of the most severe weather in its history; Whereas hundreds are confirmed to have lost their lives as a result of these storms, thousands have suffered injuries, and property damage could reach into the billions of dollars; and Whereas communities large and small throughout the South and lower Midwest have been devastated by this disaster but have maintained a spirit of resiliency, hope, and faith: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1)it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (A)people in the United States should pray for the victims of the destructive tornadoes and flooding in the South and lower Midwest and the devastating drought and dangerous wildfires in the South and Southwest; and (B)people in the United States should join together in prayer to humbly seek fair weather conditions, including calm skies in the South and lower Midwest where tornadoes have ravaged homes and uprooted families, and for rain where rain is most needed in the South and Southwest, where devastating drought and dangerous wildfires have destroyed homes, businesses, and lives; and (2)the House of Representatives prays for the safety of those fire departments called to action and for those firefighters heroically battling the blazes in the South and Southwest, for fair weather in the South and lower Midwest, where a respite from severe weather is most needed to allow the region to recover and rebuild, for the families and communities affected by the severe weather, and for those individuals who were injured or killed.