[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3183-H3184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FEMA FUNDING SHORTFALLS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bright) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to refocus our attention on 
funding shortfalls in the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On March 
24, the House--we in this location--passed nearly $5.1 billion in 
emergency funding to help FEMA meet its obligations. This money is not 
allocated for future disasters or for bureaucratic costs. This is money 
that FEMA has already promised to local communities to put lives in 
order after federally declared disasters. Yet the Senate has thus far 
refused to act on this important piece of legislation. Our constituents 
can't wait any longer, nor should they have to wait.
  The recent flooding in Tennessee, tornadoes in Alabama and 
Mississippi, and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico underscore the 
need to pass emergency funding for our disaster management agency. 
These events are startling in scope and certainly require assistance 
from the Federal Government. How can we expect FEMA to effectively 
respond to future disasters if they have yet to meet their obligations 
from over a year ago?
  Mr. Speaker, nearly every day my office hears from local emergency 
managers, mayors, and county commissioners who express frustration over 
the fact they're still waiting for the money FEMA promised them. These 
are not people who expect a handout from the government. They're simply 
asking about the emergency assistance they were already granted months, 
and in some cases, over a year ago.
  Henry County, which is in my congressional district in southeast 
Alabama, is a good example of how FEMA's budgetary issues have affected 
towns across our great Nation. Henry County started a $153,000 project 
to replace a large drainage structure under County Road 2 that was 
damaged during last spring's floods. FEMA approved the project but has 
not been able to distribute money to the county. In addition to County 
Road 2, Henry County is still waiting for reimbursement for three other 
road projects that resulted from flooding in December of 2009.
  As you can see, a small county is waiting on two different payments 
from FEMA--one from a disaster that occurred over a year ago. I am sure 
that the story is similar in other areas of our great country. What is 
more troubling is that we are still debating this issue while spring 
floods are out in full force and hurricane season is less

[[Page H3184]]

than a month away. We cannot forget about the promises we have already 
made as we brace for the next disaster to strike American soil.
  Last year saw record disasters around the country. Floods soaked the 
Southeast, wildfires burned the West, and record snows blanketed the 
Midwest and Northeast.

                              {time}  1630

  It is understandable that FEMA used up all of its budgeted resources. 
Congress must now act to provide our communities with the funds they 
were promised.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a committed fiscal conservative, and I believe we 
should closely watch every dollar we spend. I welcome a debate on how 
to reduce Federal spending and reform the way FEMA operates in order to 
make it more efficient; however, the time for that debate is not while 
our communities wait for necessary and guaranteed Federal funds.
  In closing, let me once again urge the Senate to act on this very 
pressing issue. As the summer nears, we simply cannot afford to ignore 
this problem any longer. The Senate needs to do what the House has 
already done and pass, very quickly, emergency funding for FEMA, and 
pass it quickly so that they don't have to wait any longer.

                          ____________________