[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 132 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H5977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RELIEF FOR HURRICANE IRENE VICTIMS

  (Mr. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, the scene to my right is a typical scene in 
Vermont. It's the result of the fury of Hurricane Irene. The damage to 
homeowners, to businesses, to the State infrastructure is immense.
  This scene inflicted itself on 47 districts represented by Members of 
this House of Representatives. The fury of Irene was indiscriminate in 
who was on the receiving end of a very bad storm. That was an act of 
God. The relief will come as a result of an act of Congress.
  Republicans represent Democrats in their districts; Democrats 
represent Republicans in our districts. We have a mutual responsibility 
to work together to get the tools back to those first responders, to 
those municipalities, to those volunteer firefighters who are doing the 
very hard work in each and every one of our districts to recover from 
Hurricane Irene.
  Mr. Speaker, we had a meeting this morning of a coalition to fight 
for relief for Hurricane Irene. We're going to get the funds back to 
our first responders, to our municipalities and States, to our families 
so that they can get the job done.

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