[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 193 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15477-H15479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING LOCAL AND STATE FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE CITIZENS OF THE 
 PACIFIC NORTHWEST IN FACING THE SEVERE WINTER STORM OF DECEMBER 2 AND 
                                3, 2007

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 851) honoring local and State first responders, and 
the citizens of the Pacific Northwest in facing the severe winter storm 
of December 2 and 3, 2007.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

[[Page H15478]]

                              H. Res. 851

       Whereas on December 2 and 3, 2007, a storm with winds 
     exceeding 120 miles per hour struck Oregon and Washington, 
     toppled trees, felled power lines, and destroyed homes and 
     businesses;
       Whereas more than ten inches of rain fell in 24 hours, 
     inundating parts of Oregon and Washington, causing rivers to 
     overflow, flooding homes, schools, businesses, and roads;
       Whereas the combination of hurricane-force winds and 
     torrential rains caused devastating damage that isolated 
     towns, left citizens without housing, transportation, 
     communications, water, heat, or electricity;
       Whereas local and State emergency personnel responded 
     heroically and without hesitation to aid in rescue, recovery, 
     and assistance efforts;
       Whereas the Oregon and Washington National Guard and the 
     U.S. Coast Guard rescued hundreds of individuals trapped in 
     or on their homes by rising water;
       Whereas the people of Oregon and Washington rose to become 
     extraordinary citizens by helping each other, opening their 
     homes, schools, churches, and businesses to shelter their 
     neighbors;
       Whereas amateur radio operators performed vital 
     communication duties in assisting first responders;
       Whereas the National Weather Service forecasts helped avert 
     even greater casualties and damage;
       Whereas people have perished in the storm;
       Whereas homes, businesses, schools, and roads have been 
     closed;
       Whereas many long-term effects of the storm are still 
     unknown; and
       Whereas thousands of people of the Pacific Northwest are 
     without power, water, or road access: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the citizens of the Pacific Northwest for their 
     courage in facing the storm and efforts in helping their 
     neighbors in a time of great need;
       (2) honors the National Weather Service, State and local 
     police officers, fire fighters, local rescue personnel, other 
     first responders, and amateur radio operators for their 
     efforts in the face of the severe storm;
       (3) extends its thoughts and prayers to those whose lives 
     have been devastated, and who have lost their housing, 
     transportation, communications, water, heat, or electricity; 
     and
       (4) extends its profound and deepest sympathies to the 
     families and friends of those who perished.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Issa) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 851, honoring local and State first responders and the citizens of 
the Pacific Northwest in facing the severe winter storm of December 2 
and 3, 2007. H. Res. 851 was introduced by Representative David Wu on 
December 6, 2007. This measure, which has been cosponsored by 83 
Members, has the support of the entire Oregon congressional delegation.
  On December 2 and 3, 2007, a severe storm hit the Pacific Northwest, 
destroying homes, schools, businesses and roads, thus leaving thousands 
of people in Oregon and Washington without power, water, or road 
access. The Oregon and Washington National Guard and the U.S. Coast 
Guard rescued hundreds of individuals trapped in or on their homes. 
Oregonians and Washingtonians became extraordinary citizens by opening 
their hearts and their homes.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending the first responders and 
citizens who helped in time of need. I urge the swift passage of this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. ISSA. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in bipartisan support of this resolution with my 
colleague from the District of Columbia in honoring the first 
responders and citizens who were lost and who dealt with this extreme 
storm in such a valiant way.
  All of us know the beauty of Mount St. Helens. All of us know the 
beauty of the region, but few of us outside the region can understand 
the strength of the storm that flooded whole communities, battered 
trees, roadways, and destroyed power for entire communities and left at 
least eight dead. In the aftermath, as the waters recede, we in 
Congress join with the people of Oregon and Washington in banding 
together to rebuild their community and their tattered region. But more 
importantly, we thank the first responders who, as appropriately people 
sought cover and safety, went out to deal with the effects of this 
storm at risk of life and limb.
  I yield back the balance of my time and urge support for this 
important resolution.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and great feeling 
of sympathy and of great respect for those who have suffered so 
courageously through this storm that I yield to Mr. David Wu.
  Mr. WU. I thank the gentlelady.
  Mr. Speaker, between December 1 and December 3, the States of Oregon 
and Washington were battered by an exceptionally severe storm. One wind 
measurement instrument clocked at 129 miles an hour before it blew 
over, and I am told by a helicopter pilot that the U.S. Coast Guard 
measured winds up to 150 miles an hour. This is the first time that the 
National Weather Service used the term ``hurricane'' in connection with 
a storm outside of the tropics or subtropics, certainly as far north as 
latitude 45 where we are. We set an unfortunate record.
  We have frequent storms in the Pacific Northwest, but what set this 
one apart is that while the typical winter storm may bring winds of 70 
or 100 miles an hour for a few hours to coastal Oregon, this storm 
brought sustained winds of 85 to 100 miles per hour for 24 hours and 
gusts up to 130, 150 miles an hour. Entire swaths of trees were 
uprooted or snapped off. Homes were flooded. Twelve to 14 inches of 
rain fell in a 24-hour period in some parts of the coast range, and 
both Interstate 5 and the main Amtrak line on the west coast were 
closed for a period of time.
  The folks who live in the coast range and on the coast were 
especially hard hit. But we are a hardy people who live in this 
paradise, and people took care of themselves. They immediately reached 
out to their neighbors. They helped each other, pulled together as a 
community, and we got through this together.
  Unfortunately, several people perished, many people were injured. And 
many people went without heat or electricity or telephone service, were 
cut off from the world and were cut off by landslides on the roads, 
also, in addition to the loss of communication. But people got through 
this together in the great tradition of America and the great tradition 
of the Northwest and of Oregon.
  I would like to especially commend the local and State first 
responders, the Oregon National Guard, the United States Coast Guard, 
the Oregon Red Cross, and the good works of the State of Oregon in 
facing this very, very severe storm. Even during the torrential rain 
and the winds, the good citizens of Oregon and Washington came to one 
another's assistance. There are people who told me that they knew that 
someone was trapped in a home, and they went in to get them even though 
there were shingles and pieces of glass flying through the air hard 
enough to stick into the side of homes. And one person went into a home 
where a piece of sheet metal was flapping in the wind, knowing that if 
that sheet metal came off that it would become a dangerous projectile, 
but he went in to get the resident out.
  City Councilor Mark Kujala of Warrenton stayed by the phones for 24 
hours to take calls and answer calls so that people would not feel 
isolated and cut off, so that they could get some information. KMUN in 
Astoria, Oregon, because there was a severe storm a year ago, prepared 
for this by putting up a propane tank. And even though a tree fell on 
its roof and damaged the structure severely, KMUN stayed on the air all 
through the storm and gave the people of the north Oregon coast a sense 
of connection to what was happening in the outside world. And I want to 
commend the amateur radio operators, the folks who kept parts of the

[[Page H15479]]

local telephone system operating, and others, for keeping our 
communities together through the darkness, the cold, and the isolation 
when most of the phone lines went down.
  The immediate efforts of first responders as well as local and State 
officials are to be applauded. And I want to express a special thanks 
to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard lost all of their 
communication. They lost their Internet. They lost their telephones. 
They lost their cell phones. They were down to VHF radio, 1950s 
technology, to communicate with other first responders and themselves, 
and yet, they went out and picked people off the roofs, went into 
homes. One of the rescuers went into a home that was flooded up to 
chest level and the lights were still on in the room where this 
disabled individual was located, and yet this rescue swimmer went in 
there with the electricity on and got the person out and into a rescue 
helicopter.
  The National Guard performed heroic efforts. Camp Rilea became a 
safety shelter, kind of a dry safe harbor for the people of the north 
coast. They distributed generator fuel to so many people who were 
trying to run their own generators when the power went down, and at one 
point they were down to their last 30, 60, 90 minutes of fuel. But then 
they got resupplied and were able to help continue to keep other folks' 
generators working. And the radio station in Seaside had their antenna 
blown down, but they got right back up the next day when it was safe to 
get the antenna back up and get a generator going and kept folks 
informed.
  I have tried to work closely with Governor Kulongoski, and he has 
been terrific through this entire episode. It was a Sunday-Monday 
storm, and I couldn't get a phone call through to folk in the area 
until Wednesday night, but Governor Kulongoski toured the area Tuesday 
afternoon and was on the phone with me Tuesday afternoon to tell me 
some of the things that were needed. The Governor and I work hard to 
make sure that both the State and the Federal components of recovery 
and prevention for the future, that we do our jobs, that we have not 
too much government but all the government that we need to keep 
Americans safe, to enable us to pull together in times of crisis and 
need.
  Life is uncertain in the paradise that we call the Pacific Northwest. 
It has sometimes been referred to as the land of fire and ice. We have 
regular storms, periodic fires, and rare huge earthquakes and tsunami. 
To paraphrase an author of the region: We are always searching for 
hardy people to match this challenging land. And I think that we do 
have those people.
  Life in the paradise we call home may be uncertain, but we know that 
we are a match for it and we shall meet the challenges together. A long 
road of recovery lies ahead, but like the pioneers of old, we will 
bring everyone to the finish line together. No one will be left behind. 
No one will be forgotten. I want to salute the citizens of the Pacific 
Northwest, the first responders, and everyone else who came from the 
region to help out in our time of need. Thank you.
  Mr. ISSA. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. I want to say to my good friend from Oregon that his 
resolution not only informs us about the heroic efforts of first 
responders and the residents, but educates us about places where 
catastrophic storms may occur unexpectedly. It sounds as though the 
States of Oregon and Washington had a short-term version of Katrina and 
managed somehow to deal with it themselves. So we commend first 
responders and citizens of both States.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, on December 2 
and 3, a severe winter storm swept across Oregon and Washington State. 
Countless first responders came to the aid of those in need and worked 
tirelessly to restore order in the aftermath of the storm. I strongly 
support H. Res. 851 in recognition of the dedication, service, and 
courage shown by these men and women.
  The winter storm affected dozens of communities and many thousands of 
people in Washington and Oregon, including my constituents in the 
Nineth District of Washington. It struck the Pacific Northwest with a 
ferocity that is rarely seen in the region. The storm brought winds 
that exceeded 100 miles per hour, saturated the region with 10 inches 
of rain in a 24-hour period, and led to the loss of human lives. Homes 
and businesses were flooded, roads and thoroughfares were damaged or 
swept away, and thousands of citizens were left without electricity, 
heat, water, transportation, or adequate shelter.
  Throughout and following the storm, the men and women of local and 
state police agencies, fire and rescue groups, local and state 
emergency first-response organizations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the 
Oregon and Washington National Guard were ready to respond to the 
extraordinary circumstances. They rescued those trapped by the rising 
waters, provided aid to those in need of critical assistance, and 
helped to limit the ill effects of this tragic weather event.
  As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I want to call 
particular attention to the service of the Washington National Guard. 
Some 400 Washington National Guard Members, 70 vehicles, and 11 teams 
supported response and recovery operations, conducted house-to-house 
searches, and provided needed food, water, and other emergency 
provisions. In cooperation with many other local, State, and Federal 
first responders, the men and women of the Washington State National 
Guard performed their duty admirably, and I am very grateful to them.
  Please join me in honoring the Washington State National Guard and 
recognizing the many other first responders for their contributions 
during the winter storm of early December. I urge my colleagues to 
support H. Res. 851.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cardoza). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) 
that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 
851.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________