[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 173 (Wednesday, January 2, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7569-H7570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Grimm) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, it's very difficult to stand here and have to 
speak to my constituents knowing that we're going to break, we're going 
to end this Congress, and I'm going to go and walk the streets in 
Midland Beach, in South Beach, in New Dorp Beach and Tottenville, and 
I'm going to meet with homeowners that I've been meeting with for 9 
weeks now and I can't

[[Page H7570]]

tell them that everything is going to be okay because, as of right now, 
everything is not okay. In fact, it's far from okay.
  I don't often agree with my colleague that just spoke, Mr. Nadler, on 
a lot of substantive issues, but I have to agree with him today, and 
that is not an easy thing for me to do because there was a betrayal. 
There was an error in judgment that is going to cost, I think, the 
trust of the American people, not from me individually, not necessarily 
even for the Members here today, but for this body as a whole as we 
move forward.
  I couldn't be more proud to be an American. You know, I used to tease 
people that I bleed red, white, and blue. Since I was young, I knew I 
would serve in the military, and I did. And I would have given my life 
for this country time and time again. And even later on, I put myself 
in harm's way serving with one of the greatest organizations this 
country has to offer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a huge 
honor. And I really, really felt, when I took my oath as a Member of 
Congress, that it would be a level of service that would even outweigh 
my prior service because I was going to be in a position to help my 
fellow Americans every way that I could and to actually go out and 
touch my friends, neighbors, even those that didn't support me or had 
different political ideologies, I was going to be able to use the work 
ethic that I inherited from my father to make their life a little 
better. That's why I took this job, to make people's lives a little 
better, to make life in the United States a little better. And I'm not 
able to do that today, and I don't understand why.

                              {time}  1020

  And I think it's inexcusable that we did not have this vote and bring 
those that are suffering, those men and women that are looking at their 
children right now, and they're not sure what to tell them because 
they've lost their small business, their only source of income.
  And why is that important? Well, because the SBA and FEMA and all the 
government officials that hit the ground when Superstorm Sandy hit 
explained that if you didn't get money into the hands of these small 
businesses almost immediately, then most likely they would go under. If 
you don't start rebuilding right away, people start to become depressed 
and they lose hope. Let's not even discuss the economic impact.
  So to delay this vote, even for another day, is something that will 
resonate, not only with the people that have been affected and are 
suffering and have lost everything, but I think it will resonate with 
the American people for a long time; and I think it will make them 
wonder what we are here for and what is the role of the Federal 
Government, what is the role of the Congress, and maybe most 
importantly, can they trust us.
  So it is with a heartfelt apology that I apologize to my 
constituents, to my fellow New Yorkers in need, those in New Jersey, 
Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. I did all that I could. I will not stop. 
I will not relent, and I will continue to push for this vote to come as 
quickly as possible. But there is no rhyme nor reason, and it is 
inexcusable that it has not come already.
  You are in my thoughts and my prayers, and I will be there on the 
ground as soon as I get back to New York to help as much as I can, 
knowing that I'm not helping nearly enough because we don't have the 
funding to do so.
  I want to thank my colleagues across the aisle that have been 
exemplary. It has been an honor to work so closely with you on these 
efforts. It has been not only bipartisan but bicameral. Governors, 
mayors all across the aisles have weighed in, and that is something 
that I will treasure and will continue to do as we move forward, 
knowing that we should not have to be here today.

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