[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 104 (Tuesday, September 7, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H6726-H6731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF ACT, 2004
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 5005) making emergency supplemental appropriations
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, for additional disaster
assistance.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5005
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2004, to provide emergency supplemental
appropriations for additional disaster assistance, namely:
department of homeland security emergency preparedness and response
Disaster Relief
For an additional amount for ``Disaster Relief'',
$2,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which
up to $30,000,000 may be transferred to ``Small Business
Administration--Salaries and Expenses'', for administrative
expenses to carry out the disaster loans program authorized
by section 7(b) of the Small Business Act: Provided, That the
amounts provided herein are designated as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 402 of S. Con. Res. 95 (108th
Congress), as made applicable to the House of Representatives
by H. Res. 649 (108th Congress) and applicable to the Senate
by section 14007 of Public Law 108-287.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2004''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) each
will control 20 minutes.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to
yield 5 minutes of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) is
recognized and will control 25 minutes of the debate.
General Leave
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill H.R. 5005,
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2004, for additional disaster assistance.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Obey) for yielding me the additional time because, as you might expect,
many Members of the Florida delegation would like to be heard on this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, Congress has responded many, many times to natural
disasters in different parts of the country; but I cannot remember any
time when an entire State, and I mean everybody in the State, was
actually affected by a series
[[Page H6727]]
of natural disasters in one way or another. Unfortunately, thanks to
Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charlie and Hurricane Frances, that
is exactly what has happened to Florida in the last couple of weeks,
and we are still feeling the effects.
As a matter of fact, our sister States to the north, Georgia and the
Carolinas, and probably Virginia, sometime tonight are all going to
feel some of the effects of Hurricane Frances.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment the President of the United
States, the Governor of Florida, the director of FEMA, and the State
and local emergency disaster responders for the tremendous way they
have all worked together to help the people of Florida recover.
{time} 1915
Mr. Speaker, the damage has been severe. If Members have watched the
television screens, they know what I am talking about. It has been
total disaster in some parts of our State.
This supplemental bill is a bill for $2 billion. It is an emergency
declaration. The reason we have tried to move this bill as quickly as
we can, FEMA, which is handling basically the Federal response, runs
out of money probably by midnight tonight. Rather than interrupt the
cash flow to the emergency workers in Florida, we are trying to move
this bill. Hopefully our brothers and sisters in the other body will
move it quickly tonight, and it will be on the President's desk so
there is no interruption in the cash flow to the people who need it in
Florida.
This is not going to cover all of the costs of the natural disasters
that we are dealing with and have been dealing with, but we will take
that up at a later date. This is an emergency measure to keep the cash
flow moving into Florida and FEMA.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I am confident we will find overwhelming support in the
House for this measure. I am certain it will be bipartisan to a very
great degree. I certainly expect to be voting for it.
I would simply make one observation in the process, however. We
should not be surprised that FEMA is at this point running out of
money, because in the conference on the legislative appropriation bill
last year when additional supplemental funding for FEMA was being
attached, a number of us on this side of the aisle warned at that time,
I know the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) did, I know I did, we
warned at that time that because we were appropriating $800 million
less than the historical average of the last 5 years, we would not have
enough money without additional funding. And now because of that
shortfall, it is obvious we have no choice but to move tonight.
I would simply say I hope in the future any administration,
regardless of party, will request the amount that represents their full
expectations of national need in terms of dealing with disasters.
I would also hope in the long run we can come up with a better way to
finance national disasters, because it seems to me that there ought to
be some kind of a self-insurance fund established between the States,
backed up and guaranteed by the Federal Government so we do not have to
keep funding this on a horseback basis every time there is another
problem. We ought to be able to fund this program much the way we fund
worker's compensation, with an insurance fund into which States buy on
an experience-rated basis. That would be much more fiscally responsible
than the way we go about it these days.
Having said that, I urge support on both sides of the aisle for this
request. I know the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) is most
concerned about it. These storms have affected his district
significantly. I have been to his district, and it is a beautiful
place. As soon as we can get this money down to those folks who need
it, the better.
There are a lot of my neighbors in Wisconsin who spend their winters
in areas of Florida hit by these two storms, and we fully expect yet
another storm to be hitting the Southeastern region of the country
within a very short period of time. I think we have no choice tonight
but to act on this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Shaw), and just note the last time we spoke was on
the telephone as Hurricane Frances was coming ashore right over his
house.
Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young)
for yielding me this time, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Obey), the ranking member.
When a disaster happens in America, we are not Democrats and
Republicans, we are Americans, and we care about each other. We suffer
with each other, we cry with each other, and we pray with each other.
I was taken by a photograph which was in this morning's Fort
Lauderdale Sun Sentinel of a woman who had just lost her entire home,
and she was on her way to get in line for some ice and water. This
tells us how quickly we can lose everything in this world, and how
important it is that we as a Nation pull together and come forward with
some relief which is so badly needed.
Up in the central part of the State, we had Hurricane Frances
following Charley, which was described on television as big as the
State of Texas. It covered the entire State of Florida, as the chairman
correctly pointed out.
I also want to be sure that we give proper credit to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations, who started putting together this appropriation bill
even as the hurricane was still coming ashore, and maybe before that
because of Hurricane Charley and the losses we sustained. I know my
daughter in DeLand, Florida, ancient, gorgeous oak trees in her back
lawn, gone. My son in Orlando, a huge oak tree fell on his house. These
things can change lives in no time.
I think it is remarkable when we see the expedited process that has
been used here, and this has been done because we have got good
cooperation on both sides of the aisle. The Speaker has been great to
bring this up. Over in the Senate, we will pass this very clean bill in
record time, and it will go to the President. This bill will become
signed into law before Hurricane Frances has even left the continental
United States. In fact, we may be feeling the winds of this storm right
here in Washington, D.C., while the President is signing the bill which
will give us a bridge to the relief we need.
On behalf of all of the people of Florida and the Florida delegation,
I thank this House, I thank the Senate and the President of the United
States for this expedited procedure. This is remarkable, and it does
show that we as Americans deeply care.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Hastings).
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) for yielding me this time. I thank he and the
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) for their steadfast support for
the victims of Charley and Frances. The gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Shaw) has put in immeasurable time and work, as have others of us who
have been directly impacted.
I rise tonight in strong support of this emergency supplemental
appropriations measure. I also echo the words of the chairman when he
stated earlier today that this bill must merely be a down payment of
disaster assistance to Florida's hurricane victims. I know that all of
our colleagues join me in expressing sympathy and understanding to
those who lost their homes, their belongings, and in some cases their
loved ones who were either killed or injured to Charley and Frances. We
stand united in our efforts to help those who have lost so much.
In the district that I am privileged to represent, the wrath and
strength of Frances is clear and evident. Hundreds of homes have
literally been destroyed and all but scraps of wood remain. Our citrus,
sugar and tomato fields are flooded, and more than 2 million homes
remain without electricity days after the storm has passed and for some
days to come. For the millions who have been affected, life has come to
a standstill.
As a fifth-generation Floridian, I know firsthand that hurricanes and
[[Page H6728]]
tropical storms are part of life in south Florida. But if Andrew, and
most recently Charley and Frances, taught us anything, it is that the
resilience of our community to recover and rebuild is stronger than
anything Mother Nature will ever throw our way. With time and the
necessary resources, I am confident we will recover.
I am deeply grateful to the full leadership of both sides in this
instance, and our hearts go out to those that have lost so much. The
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Shaw), all of us in Florida really have a lot of work to do in the
future. Like the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) spoke about
establishing an appropriate relief fund, it is something long overdue
in this Congress, and this may be a good first step for us to be
reminded that it is time for us to have a disaster fund in Congress.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), who had floods of 6 to 7 feet in Virginia
streets from Tropical Storm Gaston.
Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman
Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member,
for bringing this bill forward in such an expedited fashion.
As the chairman suggested, many States in this country, especially in
the Southeast, have felt the effects of devastating hurricanes and
tropical storms. On August 30, which was Tuesday of last week, Tropical
Storm Gaston unleashed 10 to 14 inches of rain on Richmond, Virginia,
over the span of only 4 hours. This massive rainfall was responsible
for the loss of eight lives, heavy flooding, and millions of dollars of
property damage.
As Richmonders began the long clean-up, the costs are beginning to
mount. The storm caused 20 blocks in Richmond to be condemned as
uninhabitable and did what is expected to be $60 million to $80 million
of damage. Business owners and residents in Richmond lost their homes,
companies and cars because of the rapid flooding. One of the hardest-
hit areas, Shockoe Bottom, is a busy commercial area of Richmond, and
its destruction will dramatically affect the area's economy.
Last week I wrote the President to ask that Virginians affected by
Tropical Storm Gaston be given immediate Federal assistance. Friday,
President Bush responded swiftly by declaring these hard-hit areas of
central Virginia Federal disaster areas, allowing them to be eligible
for loans and grants through FEMA and the Small Business
Administration.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I am here in support of the chairman's bill
for the supplemental funding for FEMA and SBA to respond to the storm.
Disaster relief and emergency aid that FEMA and SBA are providing in
Richmond is one of the best and most appropriate functions of
government, and one in which Congress should fully invest. These
additional grants will allow these individuals, homeowners, business
owners and local governments, who are, again, as the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Young) has said, now as we speak, are facing the damaging
and flooding rains of Hurricane Frances, to quickly get back on their
feet. That is why I am here to support its swift passage.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Meek), a member of the committee.
Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be on the floor
not only with the gentleman from Wisconsin, but also with the chairman
of the Committee on Appropriations.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important not only for Members of
Congress, but the rest of the United States to understand that Florida
has gone through quite a bit, and there are other States that are
affected as relates to the flooding and some of the aftermath of the
hurricanes.
{time} 1930
But I also want to add, and I want the Members and I know it is not
in this bill, I know we have $2 billion that is going to FEMA. We have,
I believe, $30 million going to the Small Business Administration. But
I think it is important to remember that the VA was also hit in this
storm. In Palm Beach, I know some of the Members can attest to it, that
it is important that we have emergency funding in a bill, not in this
particular bill, but in another supplemental coming up for the losses
that the Department of Veterans Affairs was not included in this bill.
The VA in West Balm Peach and in the middle of this storm, clinics in
Brevard and also Port Charlotte received lesser damage than their main
facility in West Palm Peach. In the middle of the storm, it was
flooded. They had to move people to the second floor. That is something
that we definitely need to think about, and I know it is something we
will include, hopefully, in the future for these patriots that have
laid it down for the very democracy that we celebrate today.
But I am excited about the fact that not only Floridians but also
others can count on the Congress responding in the way that we are,
because we are spending their tax dollars. It is not like we are giving
them something. This is something that they have invested in our
government, rightfully so; and we are responding to them in their time
of need.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage, like I know that Members will, when they
open the board up to allow an opportunity to vote on this emergency
supplemental, I am pretty sure that every Member of this Congress will
be in support of that. I would like to commend the local governments
and their response to our recent natural disasters and their continued
support and commitment. Also to those Floridians that have lost time
and wages from their jobs and small businesses. This is very timely. I
want to thank the ranking member for allowing me to have time, but let
us also remember our veterans and VA hospitals.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I want
to assure my very distinguished friend and colleague from Florida that
we understand that there are many expenses that will need to be
covered, but we do not know exactly what they are yet; so this is
really a stopgap to keep the cash flowing to Florida today. But we will
revisit this and the President has acknowledged that he would be asking
for an additional supplemental once those figures are available to us.
We are going to move quickly. I appreciate the gentleman's comments.
Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I know
a wise man such as himself is fully aware of what I just shared with
the other Members. I want to thank the gentleman for sharing that with
the rest of us.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Foley), who experienced not only Frances but Charley
as well.
Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to thank the
wonderful hardworking and dedicated employees of the emergency
operating centers of Charlotte County, Highlands, Palm Beach, Martin,
St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Glades, and Hendry. I would like to thank Mike
Brown and his capable staff at FEMA. I would like to thank President
Bush for visiting our citizens in the storm-ravaged communities of
Punta Gorda and, tomorrow, Fort Pierce. I would like to thank Governor
Bush for his tireless commitment to our State's fragile citizens, the
United Way, and the Red Cross.
It is amazing to me how beautiful this Nation is when our fellow
citizens have been found wanting and hurting. You have all heard the
plea from Florida's citizens for help, and you have answered that plea
today, not just with money but with prayers, not just with prayers but
with help, and not just with help but with hope. We will rebuild. We
will be stronger and better than ever. I ask my citizens in Florida to
be patient. I know you are under great stress, but help is on the way.
This bill will provide it. This Congress will respond. And our
President is doing all he can with the help of FEMA to make certain
this misery and pain is short-lived.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Deutsch).
Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, there is an expression those of us in
Florida occasionally use that there are two types of Americans, those
that live in Florida and those that want to live in Florida. And if
people live long enough, generally that might be where they end up.
I remember the first year I came to this Chamber, and I see many of
my
[[Page H6729]]
colleagues who joined me that first year, Congressman Diaz-Balart,
Congressman Hastings, and others. Right after Hurricane Andrew was the
last time our State experienced something of the magnitude of what we
are experiencing today. My colleague from West Palm Beach just used the
words that were the catch words after Hurricane Andrew: we will
rebuild. In fact, we rebuilt and we rebuilt stronger and we rebuilt
more significantly and a better community after the disaster of
Hurricane Andrew. I am confident that we will do the same after Frances
and Charley.
One of the advantages and disadvantages of literally living in
paradise is that we actually are a location on the planet Earth where
hurricanes find their way on a pretty regular basis. I am proud of the
response of the people of Florida during this last disaster. I look
forward to the continued effort and prayers and specific things of
everyone in this country. The President is planning on coming back to
Florida tomorrow, an unexpected visit sooner than after the Charley
disaster. Unfortunately, at this point I do not expect to be able to
join him because I hope to be on this floor passing this, as has been
mentioned, hopefully unanimously, the $2 billion.
In the 12 years since Andrew, we have had many supplementals of
disasters that have faced this country. I think it is really part of
the greatness and the really shining moments of this Congress when we
acknowledge our debt and our relationship to every other citizen of the
United States as we pass this supplemental tomorrow. I urge its
adoption.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the very
distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in Florida we have
lived through Charley and Frances, and my area has been hard hit by
both storms. All eight of my counties have sustained damage, both from
wind and from storm surge. Myself, my own property has sustained some
damage due to it. We have had the hopes of many Floridians dashed.
Businesses have been harmed, agriculture, homes. Yet the spirit of the
average citizen living in Florida is upbeat. They know that they will
rebuild and that Florida will again be a great, healthy, and vibrant
State. Neighbors have been helping neighbors, and that is the good
news.
There are groups out there such as the Christian Contractors
Association who have been helping people, seniors without a lot of
funds repair their homes, take down trees, et cetera. Certainly the Red
Cross, the Salvation Army and FEMA, along with a myriad of other
agencies, are out there assisting people. Florida will survive Charley
and Frances; and for all of the citizens out there, they need to be in
touch with FEMA. That is what this emergency funding is all about.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you in
support of this bill. My district has been devastated by the record
number of storms that have made landfall this hurricane season. Many
people in my district are still without power. I want to thank Chairman
Young and the ranking member.
In 1992, FEMA was in shambles. Tonight I want to send a special
thanks to President Clinton and to Director Witt whose leadership was
instrumental in getting this organization working and back on track.
And I want to thank all of the volunteers who worked together to bring
relief to the victims of Bonnie, Charley, and now Hurricane Frances.
Working side by side and neighborhood to neighborhood, they have helped
all of us weather the storms. We are truly blessed that no further
lives were taken during this latest storm.
We need a dedicated method of funding, not piecemeal dollars here and
there, to adequately meet the needs of Florida and any other disaster
that occurs in this country. I hope that we will have a clean bill, one
that is not loaded or loved to death with amendments that do not
pertain to the support and help of people who truly need the relief
these funds promise. Thanks again for the support.
I also want to mention all of the organizations, FEMA, but under that
the Army Corps have worked extremely hard and many community
organizations and groups, the Red Cross. They are too numerous to name,
so I want to make sure I revise and extend my remarks so I can thank
all of these people that have come together, the fire departments, the
mayors, local governments, the Federal agencies. Senator Nelson has
been on the ground from day one. I want to thank everybody and all of
the Florida delegation and all of the people that worked together to
make things better for the people of Florida.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the very
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), former chairman of the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
(Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, this funding is real money that will bring
real relief to the people in Florida who have been devastated by
Hurricanes Charley and Frances and who need help. As Governor Bush said
to us, we have developed a case, perhaps, of ``hurricane amnesia'' in
recent years in Florida. We certainly no longer have that. In my
district alone, Charley severely damaged homes, four hospitals, cut a
barrier island in two, left thousands without power, left thousands
without employment, changing life forever for some people.
Just 3 weeks later, another massive hurricane slammed many of the
same areas that had already been wrecked by Charley. Charlotte Harbor
was hit twice hard. As I took stock of the devastation one day after
Hurricane Charley hit, I found remarkable the terrible damage, the
scale of destruction, and how people's lives were affected. But I was
more impressed by the response, local, State and Federal, all working
together; and it was hot, and it was miserable. It was amazing to see
how well they were doing.
And they are still there. This ordeal has consumed the entire State
of Florida, and Governor Bush has been steadfast in these times of
crisis and we thank him. I commend and thank him especially for his
strong leadership not once but twice; and I pray not for a third time,
and hope Ivan will go elsewhere. Our Senators Bob Graham and Bill
Nelson also have done a fabulous job. They have met the challenges
directly on the ground and, working as legislators, they have served
our State and our country with great distinction.
Hurricanes are a part of life in Florida. It comes with the
territory. But the past 4 weeks have been extraordinary. Not since 1950
have two powerful hurricanes hit Florida in the same year, let alone
the same month. FEMA's relief funds need to be replenished now, and
this funding will do just that. Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, a
great Floridian, has given us the leadership response that has been
effective and instantaneous. Delegation Chairman Clay Shaw has
organized us to work together. We are grateful. I urge support for the
bill.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the very
distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to be part of this
Florida delegation. We are working in unison and in a very strong
bipartisan manner through the good times and the bad times. After
Hurricane Andrew hit my district so strongly 12 years ago, we learned
valuable lessons about emergency preparedness and responses to
devastation such as that. After that, building codes were strengthened
so that structures could withstand these winds that were so
devastating. So we learned our lesson in Hurricane Andrew. But
Floridians are resilient people. We have to keep learning new lessons
as every hurricane season rolls around, and we are going to come back
stronger than ever. We have faith in each other. We have faith as a
people, as a community; and we know that no hurricane can knock
Floridians off our feet for very long.
We thank individuals like Chairman Young and Congressman Shaw, the
dean of our delegation. With their leadership, they have made sure that
this appropriations will be spent in a wise way and will be given to
FEMA for this
[[Page H6730]]
disaster emergency. And we want to thank Governor Jeb Bush who has been
coordinating this emergency response and President Bush who is going to
be touring in the Miami National Hurricane Center. FEMA and the Red
Cross volunteers, Salvation Army, faith-based organizations, all
Floridians have come together in this moment of crisis.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).
(Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, during the last month, the worst
circumstances have summoned the best of humanity. Having endured the
unrelenting fury of two major hurricanes, Floridians from all walks of
life have linked arms in their determined effort to rescue, recover,
and rebuild. Moreover, the generous and compassionate soul of America
has once again become manifest through the hearts and hands of the
volunteers who have traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to
assist our local first responders.
Even before the storms hit, Governor Bush had marshaled the resources
necessary to provide victims with rapid assistance. During the grueling
aftermath, his reassuring presence throughout the State has served as
an essential source of comfort and hope.
{time} 1945
President Bush and FEMA have likewise delivered a quick and effective
response from the Federal level. I particularly wish to commend U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman for her swift approval of disaster
relief for our farmers and growers.
Finally, I wish to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young)
and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), our delegation Chair, for
their leadership in requesting the President's $2 billion for
additional disaster relief funding and look forward to working with our
entire State delegation to provide our constituents with the help they
so desperately need and deserve.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), a member of the
Committee on Appropriations.
Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this
time, and I thank the chairman for his leadership in this area.
This is money, Mr. Speaker, that will go to help people who are
hurting right now, and, believe me, there are a lot of people in
Florida who are hurting. Even in my area in northeast Florida where we
did not suffer any direct brunt of the hurricane, thousands of people
are without electricity. Their homes have been damaged. And while
State, local, and Federal officials did a great job of doing everything
they could to prepare for this disaster, one can only do so much.
So I urge my colleagues to support this so that we can once again get
the money to the people that are hurting now and come back and help
those at a later time. I urge the adoption of this bill.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, would the Speaker be kind enough to inform me
how much time I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kline). The gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Obey) has 4\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. Young) has 11 minutes remaining.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I at this point have no further requests for
time. There may be one other Member coming. So if the gentleman from
Florida needs more time, I would be happy to yield him 2\1/2\
additional minutes.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's
generosity, and that may be the case. We will deal with our speakers
and then see where we stand. I thank him for yielding me the time.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).
Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman
of the Committee on Appropriations and the ranking member for bringing
forth this legislation so quickly to make certain that there is no
interruption in the assistance that FEMA and the Small Business
Administration are providing to the victims of the two hurricanes that
have caused so much damage in Florida in recent weeks.
I have been very proud of, just like today, the response that we see
from the Congress. Obviously the Speaker and the leadership have
demonstrated tremendous solidarity with the people of Florida today. I
have also been very pleased to see the promptness and the seriousness
and the leadership of the President and the Governor, who, even before
the first hurricane, Charley, hit Florida, there had been a major
disaster area declared by the President pursuant to the request of the
Governor.
So everything that can be done is being done. It is important for the
people to know that we will continue to do everything that we can to
alleviate their need in this very difficult moment. I thank again the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for bringing this forward with such
promptness.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank
the chairman for the quickness of this measure, this important measure.
As we have heard before, when tough things happen, when the American
people are suffering, is when the country truly shines. And we are
seeing another example. We are seeing unity. We are seeing how the
ranking member has been so generous with his time and also working with
the chairman to make sure that this is a reality. The people who
deserve and need the help get it as soon as possible.
But I have to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank a number
of people. President Bush, who from day one has been incredibly
supportive and has led the relief effort. Governor Bush and his cabinet
have done an incredible job. They have been on the field. The people
from FEMA have been amazing. We run into them all over in Florida. I
was with a group of them in Miami recently where the Governor was there
as well. The Small Business Administration, the first responders, Mr.
Speaker, police officers, firefighters, everybody who has come together
to make sure that the suffering is minimized as much as possible, and I
just want to thank everybody. And, of course, our guardian angel
always, the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations from our great
State of Florida, who is always there leading every single fight for
the people of Florida.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the very
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
I want to spend a second and also echo my appreciation to the
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young), to both sides of the aisle,
for bringing forward this legislation; to the leadership of President
Bush and his administration, who have acted, in advance of both this
latest storm and the previous storm we had; for the leadership, the
fantastic assistance provided Governor Bush. He has just been on the
job working day and night. And I would be remiss if I did not mention
all of the local officials. I represent some six counties, and many of
those people have been through two disasters now, and they have worked
nonstop. So, again, my congratulations.
This money that we are sending from Washington is part of the great
strength of our Nation, part of the strength of a Federal system, and
it is the people's money, the taxpayers' money. And when we have a
need, it is appropriate that we do provide assistance from the country
to an area that is hard hit, whether it is Florida; Richmond, Virginia;
or other parts of the Nation. So it is one of the great strengths of
our Nation and our people.
Finally, I want to say that Florida is open for business. I chair the
Aviation Subcommittee. All of our major airports are open. I want to
thank Marion Blakey, the head of FAA, she worked nonstop, and Woody
Woodward, our national airports administrator, to make certain that
Florida, which depends on travel and aviation, is open for business.
But we are open for business. There are some pockets in the southwest
and
[[Page H6731]]
some in the southeast, but our major attractions are open. All of our
interstates and our roads, I have reports back as a member of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, are open. And we want
people to do us a favor by not canceling their plans to visit Florida.
We will dust ourselves off. We will clean up a bit. But people can help
Florida by not canceling their plans, but coming to Florida. We are
open for business, and we will prevail.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
First let me say that I am so proud to be a part of this Florida
delegation that has come together so strongly as we do when matters
affect our State. All of our Members on both sides of the aisle have
just been dynamic in supporting each other in the problems that we
might experience in our districts because of this one tropical storm
and two hurricanes.
I want to especially thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey)
for working with me as we moved ahead with this bill to decide how we
are going to do it, what the bill was going to look like, and the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) was very supportive, and I have to
say I just really appreciate the support that he gave us.
After Hurricane Charley, I went to south Florida with President Bush,
where he announced that he would be asking for this supplemental to
make sure that the cash flow continued, and I was there to assure him
that we would move this bill as expeditiously as we could. The House
convened at 2 o'clock today after the summer district work period, and
at 2 o'clock I introduced this supplemental appropriations bill. And
thanks to the support of the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert)
and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), our majority leader, and the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), our majority whip, everyone came
together to help us move this legislation that is so important.
I want to thank the President of the United States for recognizing
the needs of Florida. I want to thank Governor Bush, who has done
really a dynamic job in helping to manage not only as we led up to the
hurricanes, but during the hurricanes and following the hurricanes for
recovery. He has just been an amazing manager, and he has worked with
everyone at the State and local level just to do the very best we could
to help the people of our State that were hurt so bad.
FEMA, we have talked about FEMA this afternoon, and FEMA has done an
outstanding job. There are numerous other Federal agencies that have
also been involved, and they have all just really turned to and helped
our State as we recover from these disasters. The Florida National
Guard, I talked to General Burnett early as Charley was approaching,
and General Burnett had mobilized the Guard, ready to move in to
protect property, to protect lives, to do whatever was necessary; and
they just deserve a tremendous vote of confidence and vote of gratitude
from Florida.
All in all, as one of my colleagues from Florida said, this has been
a great experience of coming together when people need help. As I said
earlier in my remarks, all of Florida was affected one way or another,
which was very unusual. We have an earthquake or a fire or a flood or
whatever that might be, we respond quickly, and usually it is in a part
of a State or a community, but in this case the entire State of Florida
was affected. So as chairman of this committee and as the introducer of
this bill, I appreciate the way that the House is moving to move this
bill over to the Senate, which I believe will deem it passed tonight
and get it to the President.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this emergency
supplemental appropriations bill to provide $2 billion to FEMA to help
the citizens of Florida recover from Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
I am sensitive to the fact that these two hurricanes have had a
devastating impact on the lives of several hundred thousand Central
Floridians. My own mom, Lora Keller, completely lost her home in
Hurricane Charley.
Despite these temporary heartaches, I am optimistic about Florida's
future. Congress, especially those of us from Florida, will work very
closely with President Bush and Governor Bush over the next few days to
help rebuild Florida quickly, and even stronger than before.
This $2 billion will be able to help Central Florida families with
things like temporary lodging, food and water supplies, medical care
and will allow roofs to be repaired.
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5005.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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