[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 31 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF THE ``WHATEVER IT TAKES TO REBUILD ACT OF 2008''

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 23, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the ``Whatever 
it Takes to Rebuild Act''.
  A disaster can leave the tax base of an affected community eroded, 
necessitating Federal assistance to pay for essential services. These 
essential services, including police, fire, and school personnel, are 
even more critical in the wake of a disaster. To aid communities, 
Congress created the Community Disaster Loan Program. While this 
program has worked with great success, there are two significant issues 
that need to be fixed. The first issue is that this assistance is 
delivered in the form of a loan and the second is that any loan is 
limited to $5 million. Providing this aid as a loan can further delay 
the recovery of a local community and the $5 million cap does not allow 
for adequate assistance for medium or large communities.
  The ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act'' would repeal the requirement 
that disaster affected communities epay the assistance they receive 
under the Community Disaster Loan Program. This legislation would 
permanently repeal the $5 million cap on these loans, would make states 
eligible for this assistance, repeal the cap that limits loans to 25 
percent of a municipalities operating expenses, and would provide this 
assistance as grants when the President waives the provisions for a 
catastrophic event. All of these provisions are aimed at giving the 
Federal Government the tools and flexibility we need to fully respond 
following a disaster.
  This program was used most recently immediately following Hurricane 
Katrina in New Orleans. While it was able to provide significant 
benefits, repayment requirements have raised significant hurdles for 
many recipient communities. In the wake of a disaster, the government 
should give American communities the financial assistance they need to 
get back on their feet with no strings attached. That is why I am 
reintroducing the ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act.''

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