[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 62 (Monday, May 6, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        THE REMARKABLE RESILIENCE OF THE CITIZENS OF WEST, TEXAS

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, I visited the town of 
West, Texas, to see for myself how the investigation of the fertilizer 
plant explosion is proceeding. The town has suffered incredible losses, 
but I was impressed by the resilience of the people in West, and it is 
remarkable how the community has come together after that tragedy.
  It is at the very beginning stages of collecting the facts and 
findings into how these events transpired. I have been working closely 
with the staff on the Energy and Commerce Committee who are looking 
into the voluminous material on the matter and will continue to oversee 
the Federal Government's response to this tragedy as the investigation 
unfolds.
  I wanted to personally thank Assistant State Fire Marshal Kelly 
Kistner; the ATF agents who handled the Federal investigation; the FEMA 
coordinating officer, Kevin Hannes; and the district director for 
Congressman Bill Flores, Timothy Head. I want to thank each of them for 
their service to our country and to the community of West. God bless 
our State.

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