[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 82 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORT EMERGENCY DISASTER RELIEF

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, in 1989, northern California was struck by 
the Loma Prieta earthquake. Families lost their houses, their homes, 
their personal possessions, their family photographs. It was a terrible 
disaster and a tragedy.
  Before we could even ask, Chairman Jamie Whitten, the chairman of the 
Committee on Appropriations, came earlier to work than usual and 
started to prepare the Federal response. He knew that the American 
people and the American Government have a compact between them that, 
when disaster strikes, the Federal Government is there to provide 
comfort and meet the needs of the people.
  The Republican leadership in this House of Representatives have 
broken that compact with the American people, they have violated it. 
For their own political agenda, they are holding hostage the families 
of the disaster stricken areas of our country. These families have 
suffered tremendous losses. They have serious doubt about how they will 
be made whole. Instead of having the comfort and the embrace of the 
Congress of the United States, they are ignored.
  Despite the best efforts of President Clinton and indeed even the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], the radical Republican 
leadership refuses to help the families of America. I hope our 
colleagues will join the 20 brave Republicans and our Democratic 
leadership in supporting the emergency disaster relief bill today.

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