[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1172-E1173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SUPPORTING NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 
1330, a resolution that supports the goals and ideals of National 
Hurricane Preparedness Week. I also want to thank my colleague, the 
honorable Mario Diaz-Balart, for introducing this important resolution.
  My district is in the wake of many hurricanes that make their way 
into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane season has a profound impact on our 
way of life in the gulf. Hurricane season is upon us, and with it comes 
the distinct possibility of Mother Nature wreaking more havoc on our 
gulf coast. Our oceans are in peril. Reams of film from the field reach 
all of our doorsteps, pictures of oil covered birds, ailing mammals, 
and other creatures that couldn't possibly survive the copious amounts 
of oil. The harm done to our gulf is already at an unprecedented level.
  Unfortunately, as long as oil plumes continue to form nebulous clouds 
of black a mile

[[Page E1173]]

beneath the deep blue sea, we will continue to push that unprecedented 
level of destruction even further, continue to see our gulf shores 
littered with amorphous lumps of oil, continue to see the gulf coast 
crowded with sick animals, continue to see the gulf fishing industry 
suffer.
  Lost in the discussion of Sunday's World Refugee Day was the group of 
internally displaced individuals from Ike, Rita, and especially 
Katrina.
  For example, our latest hurricane, Hurricane Ike, wreaked havoc on 
Texas, particularly in Galveston and Houston. As we moved forward with 
recovery efforts, it was clear that the impact of this storm had been 
widespread and many people were still in need of assistance.
  Hurricane Ike pummeled the Texas Gulf Coast, resulting in at least 38 
deaths in Texas, evacuation of over 1 million residents, hundreds more 
are either missing or remain unaccounted for, over 2,000 residents were 
rescued from harrowing conditions, and more than $11 billion worth of 
damage according to preliminary estimates, making this the most costly 
storm in Texas history.
  In the weeks that followed Hurricane Ike, over 2.5 million families 
struggled to survive with no electricity, including no air conditioning 
in the sweltering heat, which had a particularly severe impact on the 
elderly, disabled, impoverished and other vulnerable populations. 
Clearly, we need to invest substantial funds to improve our electric 
grids to ensure that the disparate impact on vulnerable populations is 
corrected and never allowed to reoccur.

  Just as we saw in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana Post-
Hurricane Katrina, internally displaced individuals from hurricanes do 
not receive the proper access to government aid to rebuild and recover. 
In fact, there is still a desperate need of housing and much more 
rebuilding that needs to be done to restore previous hurricane disaster 
victims and assist the residents who remain there.
  We cannot allow the hurricane victims to be forgotten. Throughout our 
Post-Hurricane recovery efforts, many individuals have had difficulties 
and challenges getting the government aid that they need to rebuild 
after the storm. Many lost their jobs or are at risk of losing their 
employment due to damages incurred by the hurricane.
  There are men, women, and children who have lost so much due to flood 
waters and storm winds. I have been proud to stand up repeatedly in 
Congress to fight on their behalf by securing the necessary federal 
funds. We must work together to ensure that our nation does its part to 
help hurricane victims fully recover by ensuring the delivery of funds 
that we worked so hard to appropriate. As a senior Member of the House 
Homeland Security Committee, which has oversight over the Federal 
Emergency Management Administration, FEMA, I am working to ensure that 
our communities respond expeditiously to natural disasters. The 
protection of our homeland and the security of our neighborhoods are at 
the forefront of my agenda.
  While Hurricane Ike has left an enormous amount of devastation, it 
has demonstrated yet again the amazing unity, strength and resilience 
that Texans possess. Whether rich or poor, black or white, young or 
old, Democrat or Republican, everyone has been working together to 
respond, recover, rebuild and move forward.
  We must work together to improve access to housing and the critical 
infrastructure necessary to ensure that the residents of North 
Galveston and their communities are safe. Where unacceptable 
vulnerabilities remain, swift action must be taken to eliminate them. I 
am committed to ensuring the implementation of such action.
  My friends, this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the 
livelihood of the citizens of the south central region of these United 
States, and deprives all Americans of the beauty and reasonable use of 
the seas and its inhabitants.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________