[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H6319]]
     EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR MIDWEST FLOOD AND TORNADO VICTIMS AND 
                 APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere 
sympathy for individuals and families in my district, people across 
Iowa and throughout the Midwest who have experienced and in some cases 
are still experiencing severe flooding, record-setting water levels and 
other threatening weather conditions, including the tornadoes that 
swept through Northeast and Western Iowa. My thoughts are also with 
those individuals and families who are beginning the difficult task of 
assessing the extreme damage to their homes and businesses and just now 
starting the recovery process.
  To date, the Governor of Iowa has issued emergency declarations for 
86 of 99 Iowa counties and the President has declared 78 of those 
counties major disaster areas. Despite these dire circumstances, just 
days ago when back in my district, I saw home and business owners who 
saw their life's work washed away come together to rebuild a stronger 
and a better community. I was especially moved by a business owner 
whose company had been damaged. He was in tears talking about the 
situation, but his only concern was for his employees, their families 
and their homes.
  The storms have devastated much of the Midwest, but Iowans and other 
Midwesterners have not lost their enduring spirit. I am extremely 
thankful to the thousands of volunteers who have sacrificed their free 
time to help their neighbors in these difficult times. I have spent 
time myself helping with the flood fighting and cleanup efforts and 
have been touched by the intensity and the commitment of the residents 
and volunteers, despite the circumstances. I commend them for their 
perseverance.
  I am also extremely thankful for the hard work of Iowa's Governor's 
Office, local city officials, first responders, Iowa Homeland Security, 
the Departments of Human Services, Agriculture, Natural Resources, 
Public Health and Transportation, the Incident Management Team and the 
Iowa Insurance Division.
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island Division has also been 
an integral partner in the flood response efforts, as well as the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration 
and the Red Cross in their response and assistance.
  The Iowa National Guard deserves special attention. Many of these 
servicemembers had already served their country overseas in Iraq or 
Afghanistan in combat roles. Now they were called upon to perform their 
domestic function of helping tens of thousands of Iowans battle the 
raging floodwaters.

                              {time}  1945

  These men and women deserve our gratitude and respect. Through the 
cooperation and bipartisan work of the House and Senate, the 
delegations of the affected States, the Appropriations Committees, and 
the party leaderships, we were able to provide a meaningful down 
payment of Federal assistance for the victims of this immense natural 
disaster. I want to thank all of you for your support so far, 
especially those colleagues who have offered their sympathy and 
assistance to me and my district personally. We have only just begun to 
assess the magnitude of damage in Iowa and across the Midwest.
  As the recovery process continues, I hope the House and Senate will 
continue to work together in a bipartisan fashion to address the needs 
of individuals, families, communities, and businesses in all the 
affected States. I remain committed to working together to necessary 
Federal support to my fellow Iowans.
  The road to recovery for Iowa and other Midwestern States will be 
long and difficult, but the commitment of local, State, and Federal 
Governments, combined with the steadfast resiliency of our Midwest 
families, will enable our communities to rebuild, move forward, and 
thrive once again.

                          ____________________