[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3333-H3336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EXPRESSING SYMPATHY FOR FLOOD VICTIMS IN SOUTHEAST

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1337) expressing the sympathy and condolences of 
the House of Representatives to those people affected by the flooding 
in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi in May 2010.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1337

       Whereas, beginning on May 2, 2010, the State of Tennessee 
     was hit by unprecedented rainfall that resulted in the 
     massive flooding of areas in and around Nashville;
       Whereas according to the National Weather Service of the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the two-day 
     rainfall totals of 13.53 inches more than doubles the 
     previous record of 6.68 inches set in September, 1979;
       Whereas the storms causing the rainfall claimed the lives 
     of dozens of people across Tennessee, Kentucky, and 
     Mississippi;
       Whereas the storms destroyed homes and displaced thousands 
     of people across Tennessee;
       Whereas the flooding affected travel along hundreds of 
     roads throughout Tennessee, including interstate highways 40 
     and 24;
       Whereas the storms closed schools and universities across 
     the region;
       Whereas Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen has worked with 
     Federal, State, and local officials and agencies to 
     coordinate rescue and recovery efforts;
       Whereas, on May 3, 2010, Governor Bredesen declared a state 
     of emergency for 52 counties, requesting Federal assistance 
     for areas that were affected by the storms;
       Whereas, on May 4, 2010, President Obama declared that a 
     major disaster exists in the State of Tennessee and directed 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency to work closely with 
     Tennessee to monitor the response efforts relating to the 
     storms and flooding and identify and respond to any immediate 
     emergency needs for the citizens and communities of Tennessee 
     that are impacted by the devastating floods;
       Whereas citizens and emergency responders of all stripes 
     worked together to aid their neighbors after the storm; and
       Whereas volunteers are giving their time to help ensure 
     that evacuees are sheltered, clothed, fed, and comforted 
     through the trauma caused by the storm: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) offers its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
     families of those who lost their lives as the result of 
     flooding beginning on May 2, 2010, in the States of 
     Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi;
       (2) expresses its condolences to the families who lost 
     their homes and other property in the flooding throughout 
     Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi;
       (3) expresses gratitude and appreciation to the people of 
     the State of Tennessee and the surrounding States, who 
     continue to work to protect people from the floodwaters and 
     aid in the recovery efforts;
       (4) expresses its support as the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency continues its efforts to respond to any 
     needs of the citizens and communities affected by the 
     flooding and assists in the recovery efforts; and
       (5) honors the emergency responders across Tennessee for 
     their bravery and sacrifice during this tragedy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In the first weekend of May, the great storms came through from the 
West and struck in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The 
flooding damage was record-breaking. The damage done in all States was 
great but in the State of Tennessee was the most severe, my home State. 
The most destruction, I guess, and the most damages occurred in the 
district of the Honorable Jim Cooper of Davidson County and environs. 
But in my own County of Shelby, there was extensive damage.
  I joined with my colleagues in calling on our Governor to issue a 
request for a declaration of emergency, and that was done by Governor 
Bredesen. The Federal Government has responded in a magnificent manner.
  President Barack Obama, in his historic speech to the Democratic 
National Convention in 2004, said how there was not a red United States 
of America and there was not a blue United States of America, but there 
was only one United States of America. And in this particular instance 
where people suffer in States that are all considered politically red 
States, the United States of America has responded with all of its 
resources to help our people, and our people need help.
  FEMA's been on the ground. FEMA Director Fugate was in Tennessee in 
no time. Secretary Napolitano has been to Nashville. Secretary Donovan 
of HUD and Secretary Locke of Commerce have been to Memphis and to 
Nashville as well. And others have been there. I had FEMA officials at 
my town hall meeting on Saturday. They have let

[[Page H3334]]

people know that the Federal Government is there to help. The people 
have been very responsive, and our local governments are responsive.
  When I went to Millington on Monday and toured some of the damage 
there, the people in the neighborhood said that the Shelby County 
officials had been outstanding in their response. They now feel the 
Federal Government's officials have been outstanding.
  Secretaries Locke and Donovan visited the Ed Rice Community Center 
that's now a shelter in Frayser, part of my district. They visited in 
Millington, also. There are people in the Midtown, more of the heart of 
my district, who had great flooding damage. And people know now to call 
1-800-621-FEMA to lodge their notice of their damages and to get on the 
list to start to have inspectors to come out, which they're doing, to 
assess the damages and ascertain which individuals are qualified for 
the $29,900 in recovery funds that can be had for the damages for their 
residential establishment and/or their primary vehicle.
  The SBA has been there and the head of the SBA, and the SBA is set up 
to help in losses over $29,900 and to businesses for their losses as 
well. City and county governments and State governments will be 
eligible to qualify for debris removal and for goods that have been 
distributed.
  Overall, the Volunteer State has responded as a Volunteer State 
should, and from its naming, volunteers have come from everywhere to 
help the people who have been damaged, and we have been contributing.
  Hillary Clinton, quoting an African proverb, ``It takes a village to 
raise a child.'' Well, it takes a village and a government to come 
together to help its people in times of great distress and natural 
disaster, and we have seen the Federal Government do that--and this 
government in particular--and I'm proud that we've done so. And I 
appreciate the response that I've seen in my State of Tennessee.
  And I regret the damage, and I know the people have withstood it 
well. And I hope it never happens, and we know it will, but the Federal 
Government's been there.
  So with that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1337 was introduced by the Tennessee 
delegation last week to express the sympathy and condolences of the 
House of Representatives to those impacted by the recent flooding in 
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
  As we all know, earlier this month, Tennessee and Kentucky and 
Mississippi experienced severe rainfall resulting in unprecedented 
flooding, and it hit my home State of Tennessee the hardest of all. And 
while my district, fortunately, was spared from any of this flooding, 
our official title is United States Representative from whatever State 
we're from, and I think that the Tennessee delegation has always worked 
together and joined together to try to represent the whole State even 
though we do each run in districts.
  And on May 4, the President issued a major disaster declaration for 
Tennessee authorizing Federal assistance to supplement the State and 
local response and recovery efforts. And as our colleague, the 
gentleman from the 9th District, Mr. Cohen, has just stated, the 
outpouring of support for the people affected by this flooding has just 
been tremendous in, as he mentioned, our great Volunteer State of which 
we are so proud.
  Unfortunately, as a result of these floods, in these three States 
dozens of people were killed and hundreds of homes were destroyed. 
Thousands of people were displaced and forced to take shelter. In 
Tennessee, the Governor declared 52 of Tennessee's 95 counties as 
disaster areas, and key landmarks like the Grand Ole Opry House were 
flooded with several feet of water. In Tennessee, it hit primarily the 
districts of our colleagues Congressman Cooper and Congresswoman 
Blackburn and Congressman Gordon.
  In Kentucky, the Governor declared a state of emergency in 79 of its 
120 counties and issued boiled water advisories affecting nearly 83,000 
residents.
  In Mississippi, nearly 250 homes were destroyed or suffered major 
damage, and the Governor has requested six counties receive a major 
disaster declaration.
  But even in this tragic situation, we saw and continue to see many 
examples of heroism. As we have seen in previous disasters, people in 
the community, first responders, and volunteers have responded and in a 
big, big way. The State and local officials, along with organizations 
like the American Red Cross, continue to provide assistance and aid to 
those affected by this flooding. And FEMA's assistance has and will 
help supplement these efforts.
  I strongly support passage of this resolution and urge all of my 
colleagues to do the same, and I'm sure they will.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as the 
gentleman from Davidson County, Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) needs. He's the 
primary author of this particular resolution and the distinguished 
Congressperson from the district that suffered the greatest in our 
country, Mr. Cooper.
  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues for their 
unanimous bipartisan support of this resolution honoring the people of 
the three State areas that were affected.
  We suffered one of the great rainfalls of modern times, literally 
doubled the prior record--13 inches of rain in a 2-day period--and that 
led to a real disaster, particularly in the area of middle Tennessee 
that I represent.
  The mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean, who's done a magnificent job 
responding to this crisis, has estimated the damage already at at least 
$1.5 billion. But the response of the community has been magnificent.
  And the real message of our resolution today is Nashville is open for 
business. Tourists are welcome. Most all of the sites will be available 
and ready to welcome you. A few are down temporarily, but we are 
rebuilding, and we are rebuilding because of the magnificent volunteer 
spirit of our people. Wherever you went to help a homeowner clean up a 
mess or to help a business recover, you were greeted with dozens, 
sometimes hundreds of volunteers.
  There's a group called Hands On Nashville that did a wonderful job 
coordinating these efforts. Churches, other places of worship were 
magnificent delivering sandwiches to the hungry, sheltering the 
homeless, taking care of whatever needed to be taken care of in our 
community. So, the volunteer spirit was magnificent.
  Now it's time for the government to step up. Whether it be FEMA or 
SBA or any other alphabet soup of Federal agencies, it's time for 
government to do its part.
  So we look forward to working with the disaster victims to make sure 
that everybody is helped to the extent possible because this was an 
unforeseen and unforeseeable calamity. It affected our district. 
Unfortunately, it did not get the publicity it deserved because of the 
New York terrorist incident and the spill in the gulf.
  But when Anderson Cooper of CNN came down, his initial headline for a 
story was ``Nashville Flooding.'' As soon as he saw the magnificent 
response of our people, he changed that headline to ``Nashville 
Rising.'' And that's our real message here. We are coming back and we 
are coming back strong.
  So please, come visit Nashville, Tennessee. Spend your tourist 
dollars in our community. We need your help. And together, we'll 
restore the rightful place of country music and other forms of music in 
this country.

                              {time}  1130

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Knoxville for 
yielding the time.
  I rise today, and all of the people of Tennessee, so many of the 
families in my district have lost most or even all of what they had. 
Some have suffered loss of family members, and we express our 
sympathies to those families.
  You know, homes are gone, businesses are wiped out, schools are 
flooded. School is even out for the year in some communities. Roads and 
bridges are absolutely washed away. And the road back for Tennessee is 
going to be a very long road. It is going to be difficult, also, but 
Tennesseans are undaunted.

[[Page H3335]]

  I chose to stay in my district last week. All 15 of my counties are 
Federal disaster areas, and I wanted to make certain that my staff and 
I had the opportunity to get into those communities, into those 
counties, and to assess the needs and make certain that needs were 
being met.
  This photo that I am showing you shows the extent of damage in one of 
the counties, Cheatham County, there in my district. But you know, it 
could have been taken over in Mr. Davis' district or Mr. Tanner's 
district or in Mr. Cooper's district. But it shows you what has 
happened with how roads are completely washed away. This is one of only 
hundreds and hundreds of roads that have been washed out by the storm. 
This one, you will see the road actually lies about 60 yards from the 
roadbed and where it originally was placed. The terrible force of the 
waters washed it out and onto the foundation of three homes that were 
completely washed away.
  While the rain fell, neighbors stepped up to help neighbors, and 
those who had dry homes took people into those homes. And then, they 
started to get ready to rebuild. And what they are doing is forming 
purchasing pools to buy the supplies and help clear the homes and to 
rebuild those homes. I can't count the number of empty foundations that 
I saw across the district last week, or the skeletons of churches and 
homes and businesses that are now sitting on riverbanks.
  I spoke to residents who have nothing, nothing at all, where their 
home used to be, some who have only parts of a foundation left. One 
resident was wearing only the clothes on his back. And he didn't talk 
about what his needs were or how great his loss was. What he talked 
about was rebuilding that community. And he talked about how he could 
replace material goods, but also about the richness of people helping 
people and coming together.
  Our local governments, as Mr. Cooper was saying, the State of 
Tennessee and the Federal Government are responding. Aid that began to 
hit our urban areas around Nashville and Memphis is now making it out 
into the rural counties. The road back for those counties is going to 
be very difficult, but I commend those local elected officials for how 
they have stepped up, how they had a disaster plan and they also had an 
implementation plan, and they put it to work and responded in the 
appropriate way, being there to help all of their local citizens.
  I commend FEMA and the administration for the aid that I know will 
eventually come to Tennessee and to our rural communities. And, most of 
all, I commend the families who once again have displayed why we are 
the Volunteer State.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to 
the Honorable Bart Gordon, who represents a district just south and 
southeast of Davidson County.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  May 12, 2010 on H3335 the following appeared: east of Davis 
County.
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: east of Davidson 
County.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I thank my friend from Memphis for yielding, 
and I thank my friend Jim Cooper from Nashville for bringing forth this 
good resolution. And I join my friend from Knoxville and Franklin and 
from our Kentucky neighbors in rising to support H. Res. 1337.
  My district in middle Tennessee was among those devastated by 
historic rainfall and subsequent flooding on May 1 and 2. Seeing this 
kind of devastation just breaks your heart. Many Tennesseans were 
displaced, including my mother. While it was just a temporary 
inconvenience for her, and I am grateful for that, for some it was an 
ongoing disruption, and for others it was a life-changing event.
  Even as many people in Tennessee return to normal routines, those 
families who were most affected will still be working to rebuild their 
lives. Those families will continue to need our compassion and support 
through the coming months. Federal assistance is available and will 
make a difference for many families, and that is why I encourage 
everyone in the affected counties to document their damage and contact 
FEMA. Apply even if you have insurance. If you find out months from now 
that insurance won't cover any damages, or all your damages, it might 
be too late to apply for FEMA assistance at that time. My staff in 
Murfreesboro, Gallatin, and Cookeville are standing ready to help 
anyone who has questions about how to apply for assistance.
  A lot of good-hearted people have been pitching in to lend a hand 
after they just dried themselves off. Their generosity of spirit is 
inspiring to see, but it is not surprising. Our communities have 
rebounded after tornados and storms. This time, we will work together 
to rise above the floodwaters.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to keep Tennessee 
in their thoughts and prayers.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that almost all 
Tennesseans have friends and relatives, including me, people who were 
affected by this flooding. And I want to commend all the people from my 
district who volunteered and who went to the aid of those people who 
were touched by this tragedy. And I want to commend the gentleman from 
Nashville, my friend Mr. Cooper, for bringing this resolution to the 
floor.
  Again, I wish to express my sympathy and condolences to all those who 
were hurt or harmed in some way by this flooding or who have lost 
family members, and I urge support for this resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank Mr. Cooper for bringing this 
resolution, Mr. Gordon for testifying, and Mr. Duncan and Mrs. 
Blackburn for their testimony, all the members of the delegation who 
came together in a bipartisan manner and who I think, by their actions, 
indicated that they believe government can and is an effective tool to 
help people, and can, when used properly, efficiently, and effectively, 
as FEMA is now, be an important part of a government response to a 
crisis to help the American people.
  As Mr. Cooper said, Nashville is open for business. And Nashville is 
a great city with a great tourist economy. While the Opryland Hotel may 
be closed temporarily, the Grand Ole Opry is still in business. There 
is still lots of music and lots of hotels open, and there is also the 
Music Highway that can take you right down I-40 to Memphis, and we 
would love to see you there, too.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the flood waters in Tennessee, Kentucky, and 
Mississippi have begun to recede, but the thoughts and prayers of all 
Members of Congress remain with the residents of those States. As 
thousands of Americans work to put their lives back together in the 
aftermath of record-breaking flooding, this Congress stands with them.
  We are particularly saddened by the tragic loss of more than 20 
people. For families who have lost loved ones, the sympathies of all 
Americans are with them in these tragic times.
  The Nation has been particularly affected by the situation in 
Nashville, where entire neighborhoods were under water. But as Russ 
Hazelton, resident of Nashville, said, ``We have no choice but to solve 
this problem, and we're going to solve it with enthusiasm . . .'' That 
enthusiasm will be matched by the Federal Government.
  President Obama has declared the situation in Tennessee to be a major 
disaster. Congress will continue to work with those Members whose 
constituents have been affected by this tragedy to provide the 
assistance necessary.
  With this resolution today, we also honor the efforts of our brave 
first responders, and State and local government officials, who have 
risked life and limb and worked tirelessly to safely evacuate people 
and return communities to normalcy. We stand with them today, and in 
the days ahead.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1337, 
a resolution to express the sympathy and condolences of the House of 
Representatives to those people affected by the flooding in Tennessee, 
Kentucky, and Mississippi in May 2010.
  I express my heartfelt condolences to families and communities who 
have lost loved ones from these devastating floods in Tennessee, 
Kentucky, and Mississippi. I also express my sympathy for those whose 
homes were damaged or destroyed. Unfortunately, several times in recent 
years, I have come to the floor to express sympathy and condolences in 
the wake of nature's wrath and floods are the most common type of 
disaster our nation faces.
  I would also like to express my appreciation for the men and women 
who have responded to this disaster, and those who are aiding in the 
recovery including police officers, firefighters, emergency managers, 
and emergency medical personnel. 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

[[Page H3336]]

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, recovering from, and mitigating 
damages from a variety of hazards.
  As the waters recede, we will begin the inevitable and necessary 
process of rebuilding these homes and communities. As we do, it is 
important that we re-build safer and better to reduce the risk to lives 
and property. This is known as ``mitigation''. In the case of a flood, 
we can mitigate future risks by elevating the structure or key elements 
such as furnaces and electrical panels, or in some cases by acquiring 
the property and converting the land to open space.
  Mitigation is an investment. According to two Congressionally-
mandated studies, for every dollar invested in mitigation there is a 
return of at least three dollars. This is an investment that not only 
benefits the Federal Government, but State and local governments and 
citizens as well. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
previous mitigation investments have already been shown to pay off in 
the areas of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi that were flooded in 
this disaster.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1337.
  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, last week, flood waters devastated many 
businesses and homes of hardworking families in Tennessee. The 
torrential downpours and rise of the Cumberland River in Nashville was 
a 1,000-year event that no one could have predicted because this area 
is not in a flood plain. Therefore, a vast number of Tennesseans did 
not have flood insurance, leaving them hurting financially because of 
the high cost of home repairs and in need of additional support. Many 
are now homeless after this truly unique and devastating event in our 
State's history and my heart goes out to all affected, especially those 
who lost loved ones.
  While Tennessee's capitol city and surrounding areas have been 
severely damaged, the volunteer spirit of its residents has shined. 
Tennesseans are helping themselves and their neighbors recover and move 
forward. Clean-up efforts are well underway and fundraisers are being 
held for the thousands who lost their homes or so many of their 
belongings. We have a long way to go before our cities and towns are 
completely restored, and I am committed to doing all I can to help 
Middle and West Tennessee rebuild after these devastating floods.
  Mr. COHEN. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1337.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________