[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5430-H5433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1545
    COMMENDING FLOOD FIGHTING EFFORTS IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA

  Mr. Walz. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 415) commending the heroic efforts of the people 
fighting the floods in North Dakota and Minnesota.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 415

       Whereas 47 of the 53 counties in North Dakota and 28 of the 
     87 counties in Minnesota have been declared Federal disaster 
     areas;
       Whereas wide swaths of North Dakota and Minnesota have 
     faced unprecedented flooding crises, including cities along 
     the Des Lacs, Heart, James, Knife, Missouri, Little Missouri, 
     Park, Pembina, Red, Sheyenne, Souris, and Wild Rice Rivers 
     and Beaver Creek;
       Whereas the people of North Dakota and Minnesota have 
     suffered tremendous damage to their homes, livelihoods, and 
     communities;
       Whereas the ranchers of North Dakota and Minnesota are 
     estimated to have lost nearly 100,000 head of livestock;
       Whereas many of the roads and bridges, and much of the 
     other infrastructure, in North Dakota and Minnesota are in 
     need of repair;
       Whereas, despite terrible conditions, the people of North 
     Dakota and Minnesota have shown the strength of their shared 
     bond, coming together in large numbers to save their cities, 
     towns, businesses, farms, and ranches;
       Whereas stories of exceptional efforts abound, from people 
     filling millions of sandbags on short notice, to people 
     saving lives and effecting rapid emergency evacuations;
       Whereas Federal, State, and local officials have provided 
     outstanding leadership and effective service throughout the 
     crisis in North Dakota and Minnesota; and
       Whereas the response of the people of North Dakota and 
     Minnesota to the disaster has shown the world how communities 
     can unite, fight, and win in a crisis: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the people of North Dakota and Minnesota for 
     their heroic efforts in fighting the floods in North Dakota 
     and Minnesota;
       (2) commends the many people from around the United States 
     who assisted the people of North Dakota and Minnesota during 
     this time of need;
       (3) expresses appreciation to the officials of the numerous 
     Federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management 
     Agency, working on the ground in North Dakota and Minnesota 
     for their consistently rapid, efficient, and effective 
     response to the disaster; and
       (4) continues to stand with the communities of North Dakota 
     and Minnesota in the efforts to recover from the flooding 
     during 2009, and to improve protections against flooding in 
     the future.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Walz) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 415.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in the strongest support of H. Res. 415, a resolution to 
commend the heroic efforts of the people fighting the recent floods in 
North Dakota and Minnesota.
  In October of 2007, the House passed H. Res. 657 to express sympathy 
for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred in the States 
of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. I spoke on the House 
floor then to commend our fellow citizens in the wake of Mother 
Nature's wrath, and to thank the men and women who serve this Nation as 
National Guardsmen, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical 
personnel, and others, who put themselves in danger every day to 
protect us. These dedicated professionals were once again called in the 
wake of the Red River floods.
  In April 2009, several counties in Minnesota were greatly affected by 
flooding along the Red River. The Red River flows between North Dakota 
and Minnesota. Flooding along the Red River, combined with extremely 
cold weather, caused severe ice damage. Flooding conditions along the 
river were the result of one of the wettest springs, where winter 
stream flows were 300 percent above normal.
  Twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, all over this 
country, when any type of tragedy enters our lives, from a medical 
emergency facing a neighbor to a large-scale national disaster, 
terrorist attack, or other incident, our Nation's emergency responders 
and charitable organizations are the first on the scene to provide 
professional services, expert help, aid and comfort. These well-
trained, highly skilled individuals are truly on the front lines in 
preparing for, responding to, and mitigating damages from a variety of 
hazards.
  In addition to the heroic acts of neighbors and friends, we rise 
today to also acknowledge and praise the support of local businesses 
and many charitable organizations whose boundless generosity and caring 
are just one of the pillars of recovery on which we come to rely. I 
strongly support this resolution and urge its passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, in March, both Minnesota and North Dakota, as the 
gentleman just said, began experiencing severe storms and flooding. As 
a result, major disaster declarations were issued for a number of 
counties in those States pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide for Federal assistance.
  But the numbers are staggering. Forty-seven of 53 counties in North 
Dakota and 28 of 87 counties in Minnesota

[[Page H5431]]

have been declared Federal disaster areas. That just tells you the 
scope and the size of these floods.
  As a Member representing a State that has seen, unfortunately, its 
fair share of storms, I can tell you that there are so many people that 
really allow the people of these States to move forward and to, 
frankly, survive this and, hopefully, prosper from it.
  There's so many people not only from North Dakota and Minnesota, but 
from around the Nation, who assisted in fighting these floods, and 
hundreds of volunteers chipped in to help one another to fill sandbags 
and to do whatever it takes to make sure that they can help their 
fellow citizens.
  Demolition crews freed up ice jams and ice dams to get water moving 
up the Missouri River to minimize flooding--to try to minimize flooding 
after, obviously, so much had already taken place.
  Reportedly, there were so many volunteers who offered to help, some 
of them actually had to be turned away. That says a lot about the 
greatness of the American people.
  So this resolution commends the people of North Dakota and Minnesota 
for their heroic actions, as the gentleman just said, along with those 
volunteers from around the country who also came to assist. It also 
expresses appreciation to FEMA--the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency--and other Federal agencies for their work with the State and 
local officials.
  Again, I want to thank the gentleman for this resolution. People are 
hurting and struggling, but the American people have a way to come 
together to help each other. This is just one more example.
  I urge the approval and passage of this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman from Florida for those kind words. At 
this time I yield such time as he may consume to the author, the 
gentleman who introduced this, the gentleman from North Dakota, who, 
along with his constituents, we share a common border, and we share far 
more than that--a culture and a friendship--and his leadership of 
making sure that all possible steps were taken is a real great example.
  So with that I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).
  Mr. POMEROY. I thank the gentleman, my friend, for yielding, and 
appreciate very much the kind comments of Mr. Diaz-Balart as well. 
Maybe sometime we can get the gentleman from southern Florida up for 
one of our ice storms. In turn, we can go down for a hurricane. We will 
all have kind of a better understanding one with another. It certainly 
does underscore the national dimension of how we hang together as a 
country. You get hit, we help; we get hit, you help. That's how it 
works. I want to speak to that for a moment or two in my remarks today.
  The entire country, Madam Speaker, watched the compelling news 
coverage of the massive record flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota 
this spring that resulted from huge accumulations of snow and dangerous 
spring ice.
  Having witnessed this flood fight firsthand, I understand what made 
these television images so compelling. From all walks of life, 
neighbors were helping neighbors. The Nation got to see the character 
of North Dakota and Minnesota as our communities responded to this 
disaster.
  In my entire life, I have never seen a time when so many of our North 
Dakota communities faced disaster threats--from one end of the State to 
the other, and so many places in between.
  Take a look at this picture. This is rural Cass County, actually 
outside of the city limits of Fargo. The next picture, a city a couple 
hundred miles north, Pembina, North Dakota.
  These images are like so many small towns across North Dakota where 
all you see is water. Water, water everywhere. One of the operating 
heads of the disaster programs in the State observed to me that it has 
become a place where our ditches are streams, our streams are rivers, 
and our rivers are lakes. That's certainly what it felt like during 
much of the ordeal of this spring.
  Record snow, in the end, wasn't the only threat. This next picture 
illustrates what happens when, as the gentleman illustrated, we had ice 
jams on the Missouri River, backing water into the southern part of 
Bismarck, known as Fox Island. It required, as we mentioned, demolition 
to blow up that ice jam to move this flood out of a place that has not 
had a flood threat since the construction of the Garrison Dam 60 years 
ago.
  In the middle of all these fights, Fargo Mayor Denny Walaker 
observed, If we go down, we're going to go down swinging. That 
absolutely captured the determination of local leadership and the 
citizens that responded as they fought like crazy to keep their city 
from becoming inundated by rampaging waters.
  Federal, State, and local officials came together with folks from all 
walks of life. And we're very grateful to President Obama for moving 
swiftly to declare North Dakota and Minnesota Federal disaster areas, 
unleashing the help that comes with that designation.
  Acting FEMA administrator Nancy Ward stood with our local leaders, 
ensuring they had the Federal disaster assistance to respond to 
community flood threats. Governor Hoeven ended calling up more than 
2,000 National Guardsmen to respond to the threats. We observed many 
times that it was good having him work in our sand instead of desert 
sand, as threats this spring unfolded.
  The Corps of Engineers were present--and even senior leadership 
present in our communities time and time again. We could not have built 
the kind of emergency levees that were required without the Corps' 
expertise. They are true partners in this fight.
  Throughout these ongoing flood fights I have had the opportunity and 
the honor of working with local, city, and community officials as they 
led the battle against the rising waters. While I have always been 
impressed with the caliber and commitment of our local leadership, I'm 
now in complete awe after witnessing these individuals lead their 
communities in times of real crisis.
  Make no bones about it, city leaders have been instrumental, 
instrumental in keeping their residents and their communities safe.
  When Federal agency heads came to North Dakota in the middle of all 
of this, seeking to provide advice and direction, what they got back 
was an understanding of just how thorough the planning had been and how 
competent the local response was as leaders led the fight against this. 
I think it underscores a lesson we need to keep in mind in terms of 
disaster--Federal support, subject to local leadership, because no one 
knows the ground better than local leaders.
  But we all know the heart of our flood fighting efforts comes down to 
the people themselves. And our people stepped up, bore down, and worked 
furiously--neighbor helping neighbor in this struggle to save their 
homes and communities.
  This is a picture of the Fargodome. Now that's an indoor football 
facility where Division I North Dakota State University Bison play 
their football games. It was turned into sandbag central. In a town of 
90,000, over the course of this ordeal, more than 80,000 volunteers 
came forward, built millions and millions of sandbags around the clock 
at the Fargodome. I was there. I've never seen anything like it.
  In addition to that, National Guard, local volunteers shown here took 
those sandbags in the middle of blizzards and everything else, built 
dikes, sometimes on top of snow banks, sometimes through some of the 
toughest snow storms we have had in the winter.
  Having lived this flood fight for several weeks, I have seen more 
examples of heroism than I can begin to recount, but the impressions 
will be with me always. We will never be able to adequately thank the 
thousands of National Guard, tens of thousands of volunteers, and all 
the countless government agencies who brought to bear their assistance 
to fight this record fight.
  I think President Obama put it best in his radio address which 
featured our State's disaster and response in our region, because 
there's lessons we can learn from all this. The President said, ``At 
moments like these we're reminded of the power of nature to disrupt 
lives and endanger communities. But we're also reminded of the power of 
individuals to make a difference.

[[Page H5432]]

  ``In the face of incredible challenge, the people of these 
communities have rallied in support of one another. And their service 
isn't just inspirational--it's integral to our response. It's also a 
reminder of what we can achieve when Americans come together to serve 
their communities.
  ``In facing sudden crises, or more stubborn challenges, the truth is 
we are all in this together as neighbors and fellow citizens. That is 
what brought so many to help in North Dakota and Minnesota and other 
areas affected by the flooding.''
  Some may see these images of snow and rain and sand and mud and water 
and say to themselves, Why would anyone want to live there? But to each 
of us who played our respective part in this fight, experienced the 
strength of our community, mobilized together, shoulder to shoulder, 
helping one another, we say, Why would someone want to live anywhere 
else?
  This congressional resolution is a well-deserved way to express our 
deep appreciation as a Congress and recognize North Dakotans and 
Minnesotans publicly for their courage and resilience. They are a true 
inspiration, and I am committed to standing with them during the long 
recovery process that now lies ahead. I thank you very much for 
allowing me this kind of time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I want to thank the gentleman for 
that great illustration of what the people are facing. I recall that 
after Hurricane Andrew, I ran into a number of--obviously--volunteers. 
And something that really struck me was, I ran into two people who were 
there on vacation, and they were actually helping in a day care center 
for children that had lost their homes, because the gentleman just 
talked about how we all need to see that and how we all here need to 
come together as well.

                              {time}  1600

  But because of that experience, I did go to Missouri in the nineties 
after some floods. I had some days off. I was in the State legislature 
in those days. I volunteered, and I went down there. I spent a few days 
sandbagging. And you really see the best of the country when people are 
really hurting and the people are really struggling.
  Again, we've received the kindness of the American people in Florida 
multiple times. You also see how heroic the American people are. You 
are seeing it now with these storms.
  I want to, again, thank the gentleman for bringing up this 
resolution. It's timely. It's so important to make sure that we 
recognize that tough times are to be had, but the American people do 
step up.
  In both of those States, they're going to do better than they ever 
were. They're going to be stronger, and the people are going to survive 
and prosper.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I would yield back the remainder of my 
time.
  Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman from Florida for his words, and I 
thank the gentleman from North Dakota for his inspirational 
description. Both of them did a wonderful job of explaining, when we 
come out of these most difficult situations, it's the best that we 
have.
  I think, as the gentleman from North Dakota mentioned, when we saw 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we all became Floridians. And when the Red 
River was flooding, we were all Minnesotans and North Dakotans. A 
commonality in this Nation and the ability to pull together is truly 
inspirational.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 415, 
a resolution to commend the heroic efforts of the people fighting the 
floods in North Dakota and Minnesota.
  In October of 2007, the House passed H. Res. 657, to express sympathy 
for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred in the States 
of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin in August of 2007. I 
spoke on the House floor then to commend our fellow citizens in the 
wake of Mother Nature's wrath, and to thank the men and women who serve 
this nation as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical 
personnel and who place themselves in great danger every day in order 
to protect each one of us. These dedicated professionals were once 
again called to duty last month in the wake of the Red River floods.
  In April of 2009, in my district in Minnesota, the counties of Cook 
and Lake were greatly affected by flooding along the Red River. The Red 
River flows north between North Dakota and Minnesota. Flooding along 
the Red River, combined with extremely cold weather, caused severe ice 
damage in Cook and Lake counties. Wadena county was declared a disaster 
area and a small section of Beltrami county was declared eligible for 
individual and public assistance. Flooding conditions along the river 
were the result of one of the wettest springs where winter stream flows 
were up to 300 percent above normal.
  Twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, all over this 
country, when any type of tragedy enters our lives, from a medical 
emergency facing a neighbor to a large-scale natural disaster, 
terrorist attack, or other incident, our Nation's emergency responders 
and charitable organizations are the first on the scene to provide 
professional services, expert help, aid and comfort. These well-
trained, highly-skilled individuals are truly on the front lines in 
preparing for, responding to, and mitigating damages from a variety of 
hazards.
  In addition to the heroic acts of our neighbors and friends, we rise 
today to also acknowledge and praise the support of local businesses, 
and many charitable organizations whose boundless generosity and caring 
are just one of the pillars of recovery on which we have come to rely.
  I strongly support this resolution and urge its passage.
  Mr. PETERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the people of 
Minnesota and North Dakota for the hard work and community spirit they 
displayed fighting last month's Red River flooding. When the water 
started to rise, people came from all around to feed the volunteers and 
help out in any way they could. Now, these communities are continuing 
to work together all across my district to rebuild, recover, and get 
life back to normal.
  When I've been back home, I've seen the recovery effort firsthand. 
Neighbors all over my district, in Clay County, Fargo-Moorhead, and 
throughout the Red River Valley are working with one another to repair 
the damage. Schools, businesses, and towns are getting back on their 
feet.
  It's impressive, Madam Speaker, but things aren't back to normal yet 
in North Dakota or Minnesota. Although we've come a long way since the 
flood crested a little over a month ago, we still have a ways to go.
  Floods don't do many good things, but this flood has shown just how 
strong our communities are in the Midwest. In the face of the toughest 
odds, Minnesotans and North Dakotans united to fight for our community.
  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Minnesota and 
North Dakota National Guards. They were mobilized to assist in the 
flood relief efforts and did a great job. Their readiness to help out 
their neighbors is what the National Guard is all about. In addition, 
300 soldiers from the Minnesota Guard were deployed to North Dakota to 
provide additional support for its flood fighting efforts.
  We aren't out of the woods yet. There is much more to do, and even 
when we recover from this flood, we'll need to start thinking long-term 
to prepare for the next one. I commend the people of Minnesota and 
North Dakota for what they've done in the recovery efforts. They 
deserve our thanks.
  Mrs. BACHMANN. Madam Speaker, as the House considers H. Res. 415, I 
rise to honor the members of the Civil Air Patrol's Minnesota Wing for 
their response efforts to the flooding in the Fargo-Moorhead 
communities this spring. The area saw some of the worst flooding in 
decades and the fact that so many homes and families were protected is 
a direct result of courageous and caring volunteers like those of the 
Civil Air Patrol.
  The Minnesota Wing sent 122 volunteers into the area to fill and 
place thousands of sandbags in an unprecedented protection effort. 
These volunteers also flew aerial damage assessment missions and 
staffed a mission base in Fargo just when the worst flooding fears were 
coming true. As the Red River rose higher than anyone expected, these 
men, women and teenage cadets stepped up their efforts to help their 
neighbors in their most desperate time of need.
  I rise today, Madam Speaker, to support H. Res. 415 and to honor the 
members of the Minnesota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol who crossed 
flooded and snow-covered roads to answer their neighbors' call for 
help. The motto of the Civil Air Patrol is ``Citizens Serving 
Communities: Above and Beyond'' and I can think of no group that 
embodies this slogan better.
  Mr. WALZ. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 415.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.

[[Page H5433]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________