[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 60 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3065]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TEXAS WILDFIRES AND PAKISTAN

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, wildfires have raged in Texas because 
of a long drought this year. The town of Possum Kingdom, Texas, 
population 5,500, has burned up. This is one of the many photographs 
showing the raging fires throughout the State.
  Statewide, two firefighters have been killed; 400 homes have been 
destroyed. The 9,000 fires have covered over 2,200,000 acres--this is 
the size of Rhode Island and Connecticut put together--and the costs of 
the devastating destruction are enormous.
  The Governor has asked FEMA for a Federal disaster declaration 
because of the extensive fires, but the Governor has been turned down 
by the White House--no more additional help for Texas.
  Too bad Texas isn't a foreign country like Pakistan. The Federal 
Government has shelled out over $500 million for disaster aid to 
Pakistan citizens for the flooding in their country.
  When Washington considers aid, if any, for disaster relief, it should 
at least consider Americans in Texas just as important as Pakistanis, 
but that doesn't appear to be the case. Meanwhile, the fires continue 
to burn in Texas.
  And that's just the way it is.

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