[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7608-H7609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DISASTER RELIEF FOR IOWA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to speak about the 
natural disaster that has hit Iowa, first tornados and then floods, in 
the most recent weeks. This is a natural disaster obviously that also 
hit other parts of the Midwest. Some 10 States in the Midwest have been 
struck by massive flooding since June.
  First of all, I want to commend my colleagues from Iowa in the House 
and in the Senate. We have worked together, I think, in stellar 
bipartisan fashion since the floods struck Iowa, and I commend my 
colleagues. I am very proud of the fact that we have come together to 
do what we can for our great State. I have every confidence that we are 
going to continue to work together in the coming months and indeed in 
the years ahead.
  The people of Iowa are self-sufficient and self-reliant. We are 
strong. We are the salt of the earth. We do not believe in asking for 
much. We would rather earn things on our own. When faced with a 
disaster, Iowans stand together to move forward and rebuild.
  Our commitment to community and resilience may lead some to believe 
that the tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding which hit the State of 
Iowa was only a minor event. However, having spent the majority of my 
time back home, I can assure you that this is anything but a minor 
event.
  Indeed, in my district alone, the Second District of Iowa, we have 
several rivers, and in virtually every case they flowed out of their 
banks in early to mid June. Whether it's Cedar Rapids that saw the 
Cedar River rise 50 percent above its previous record and overflow its 
banks and displace 20,000 to 25,000 individuals; or the Iowa River in 
Iowa City, where it again spilled over the Coralville Reservoir and 
exceeded its previous record level by 3 feet and caused some $232 
million damage to the University of Iowa; or whether it was the Iowa 
River coming together with the Cedar River in Columbus Junction and 
engulfing much of that city, and particularly its commercial areas; or 
whether it was the Iowa River that split off just before it hit 
Oakville, the tiny town of Oakville, and formed two channels but 
included the town of Oakville really in one large channel, a town of 
just over 400 people; or the Mississippi from Muscatine on down to 
Keokuk; or the Des Moines River from Ottumwa on to Keokuk. All of these 
rivers flowed out of their

[[Page H7609]]

banks and caused massive damage in Iowa during this period.
  I have gone to every one of the counties. I have seen the damage, 
from urban areas to rural areas. We have probably close to $10 billion 
worth of damage, if not more, in the State of Iowa.
  We did get an initial $2.65 billion package that included Iowa and 
other States affected by the flooding. But, Madam Speaker, it's time to 
do more.
  It has been 2 months and 5 days since this disaster struck our State. 
Next month, I have flood assistance meetings set up in all of my flood-
related counties, and I am going to do everything I can obviously to 
help my constituents. I am committed to working every hour of every day 
to get the necessary assistance to my constituents.
  I am, of course, disappointed that this Congress has yet to move 
forward on a second disaster package, and indeed it looks as though we 
are not going to move forward before this weekend. That has caused me 
great disappointment and displeasure. But I am also committed to 
working with the leadership on both sides of the aisle, and the 
President, to provide them with any information they need for us to 
move forward.
  As I said before, I am committed to working with my colleagues in the 
House and in the Senate from Iowa, and others in the Disaster Working 
Group, which my office helped to create, a bipartisan working group 
that includes 19 Members of the House of Representatives. I know that, 
working together, we can provide the relief that Iowa and these other 
States deserve.

                          ____________________