[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 130 (Friday, September 27, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6993-S6996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           COLORADO FLOODING

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak 
once again about the floods that were of biblical proportions that 
afflicted our State just a couple of weeks ago and the necessity of 
passing a piece of legislation, as we have done in the past on the 
heels of such natural disasters, that will allow my State to access 
existing emergency transportation funds more efficiently.
  This is legislation my colleague and my friend and fellow Coloradan 
Senator Bennet and I have introduced.
  It is critically important because it will allow us in Colorado to 
begin rebuilding our battered roads and bridges and highways without 
having to wait years for relief. In Colorado, hundreds of miles of 
roads and approximately 50 major bridges have been damaged. I want to 
display one photograph to give you a sense of what happened in 
Colorado.
  I know Senator Bennet is here. I think he and I would agree that this 
is moderate damage represented in this photograph. There are many, many 
other scenes in our State where the roads are completely gone. You 
would not even know there was a road in the canyon like this one here. 
But this gives you a sense of what we have to do to repair all of this 
infrastructure.
  Many towns, as I am implying, have seen the roads which provide 
access in and out of their communities severely limited. In fact, there 
a couple of communities that have been cut off. But the good news is 
that there are emergency relief dollars for transportation projects 
that have already been appropriated. They are available right now.
  Why do I come to the floor, then, if that is the situation? There is 
an arbitrary statutory cap of $100 million per disaster that applies to 
those funds. This could limit the flood relief that we receive and then 
unnecessarily delay repairs, not necessarily this year or next year, 
but for decades. But historically, this is the good news, this 
opportunity we all have, as Members of the House and the Senate, to 
lift this cap. It has routinely been recognized by Congress as an 
unwise impediment to helping States recover, particularly when they are 
hit by the size of this disaster.
  We have made exceptions to this cap for nearly every natural disaster 
in recent years. We waived it for Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, and Sandy, as 
well as for the Missouri River Basin flooding in 2011. In other words, 
when States are devastated, as we have been by natural disasters, we as 
a Congress have said that putting arbitrary impediments in the way of 
relief efforts just does not make sense, especially--and this is really 
important to understand--when no new funds need to be appropriated.
  The good news is, as I have alluded to, we are not asking Congress to 
appropriate any new money for transportation projects, nor does our 
bill increase budget authority or increase spending by the Federal 
Government. We are simply making sure that Colorado has fair access to 
the program that was created for the very purpose of helping States 
such as Colorado rebuild after a natural disaster.
  In fact, if we do not raise the cap, then we may be in the 
situation--not just Senator Bennet and I--but the Congress may be in a 
position where we have to pursue something more serious that does 
require money--in other words, additional appropriations.
  This is critically important. We have to do this. We need to. We must 
provide Colorado with certainty and relief as soon as possible. I want 
to again underline what happened in Colorado and what we are facing. 
Beginning on September 11, historic rains poured down. We had had a 
heat wave. We had been in the 90s, a very warm spell of weather. 
Literally overnight, beginning on September 11, historic rains poured 
down on our State without cessation.
  Rivers overtopped their banks from Rocky Mountain National Park, 
which is our crown jewel in the National Park System in Colorado, all 
the way out onto the eastern plains. It washed away highways, it 
drowned family homes, and it transformed entire farms into lakes. 
Creeks such as South Boulder Creek, which runs right behind my home, 
swelled. My neighbors were evacuated. I could not get home for 24 
hours.
  Culverts such as those near Commerce City quickly filled with rushing 
water. Rivers such as the Big Thompson near Estes Park turned into 
walls of water that devastated entire communities.
  Let me give you another set of metrics. The affected area covers 
nearly 200 square miles and over 80 percent of our State's population. 
If we counted--Senator Bennet and I would agree--5 million Coloradans 
that we represent or 80 percent of our State's population has been 
affected.
  For a sense of scope--I did not know Senator Murphy would be 
presiding--the floodwaters cover an area the size of Connecticut. Nine 
counties are considered major disasters. At least 9 Coloradans have 
died. Thank God it was not more. We had a lot of missing people, but we 
think we have identified where all of those people are. We lost 9 
Coloradans. Nearly 20,000 homes are damaged or destroyed.
  Nearly 2,500 people were evacuated by the Colorado National Guard, 
the most since Hurricane Katrina. Some bit of good news: The muddy 
waters have begun to recede. That has given us a better look at the 
vast extent of the damage: 200 miles of State highways and 50 bridges 
are damaged or destroyed. Preliminary estimates are that the 
infrastructure repairs could cost up to $475 million.
  I come with a heavy heart when I think about all of that. Then I have 
to also confess that this is a natural disaster that is beyond our 
capacity and Colorado's ability to address alone. We need help. We need 
support from our Federal partner.
  I have always supported disaster aid whether I was serving in the 
House, as the presiding officer has, and when I have been in the 
Senate, for Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina and for all of the natural 
disasters that have hit our country since I began serving in the House 
in 1999.
  I have to say that Coloradans now need our Federal partner to support 
our rebuilding and recovery efforts. I want also to say, though, in the 
face of this historic disaster, that I have been so heartened to see 
our Federal partners in the administration, led by FEMA, team up with 
our State leaders, who have been tireless, with the mayors, the council 
members, the county commissioners, our Governor, local communities, 
nonprofit organizations, and with countless friends and neighbors who 
have begun the hard work of recovery.

  Our strong sense of community will allow us to recover and to rebuild 
stronger and more resolute than before. But we want to get going. We 
want to access these dollars right now. Those dollars are sitting in 
this account, waiting to help States such as Colorado rebuild and 
repair in the wake of a disaster. In fact, the U.S. Department of 
Transportation--I see our chairman of the EPW Committee, Senator Boxer, 
who is such a leader on infrastructure and knows infrastructure policy 
backwards and forwards--the U.S. Department of Transportation projects 
that Colorado, New York, and New Jersey, plus the 11 other States that 
have projects in the queue, could receive every single dollar they need 
and there would still be $221 million in remaining funds in this 
account available for future emergencies across our country.
  That is right. Everyone who has disaster-related infrastructure needs 
can receive relief, and we will still have significant funds to help 
other areas that may find themselves in need such as Colorado, New 
York, and New Jersey.
  I want my colleagues to know that we have a real opportunity here. 
Coloradans need these dollars. These are legitimate uses of these 
dollars. Senator Bennet and I are going to be working every minute 
today, this weekend, next week, to make sure that Colorado can recover 
as quickly as possible. Perhaps in light of the challenges that we face 
in Congress, moving the government forward and doing what is right for 
the American people, maybe this is an example of how we can work 
together and do the right thing not just for Colorado but for the 
United States.
  Mrs. BOXER. Would the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. I would.

[[Page S6994]]

  Mrs. BOXER. I wish to say to both of my friends, coming from a State 
that has experienced too many moments like the one you are going 
through, I have never seen anything quite like this in terms of 
flooding. But we have the most devastating fires, droughts, floods, 
mudslides, and earthquakes and the rest.
  I wanted to be supportive of what you are doing. We all need to come 
together and help each other here. So I will do whatever I can to make 
sure that happens.
  I ask unanimous consent that when my friend Senator Bennet completes 
his time I be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. BOXER. My question to my friend is: Is it not critical that we 
avert a government shutdown? Because if we go into a shutdown phase, 
people who want to apply for help--businesses and all the rest--are 
going to be experiencing far more pain. This is just a terrible time to 
even consider a government shutdown. We have so much we have to do. I 
wonder if my friend had thought about that when he voted to keep the 
government open?
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. I certainly did. I so appreciate the point the 
Senator from California is making. We have been assured that a shutdown 
would not affect Colorado. But as we all know there are unintended 
consequences. Just in the last 24 hours, Senator Bennet and I came to 
understand that the Utah National Guard, which was sending over a unit 
that has engineers and experts in flood recovery, probably cannot come 
to Colorado because their funds are going to be limited by the 
government shutdown.
  For all of the assurance that this is emergency aid and emergency 
support--there are always situations where the full weight, if you 
will, and the focus of all of those good people who serve us, it is 
local, county, State, and Federal Government--they will be affected by 
this shutdown.
  It is all the more important. We feel it in Colorado. The other thing 
I would add, and I wish to cede the floor to my good friend Senator 
Bennet, but what has been remarkable in Colorado is the partnership 
between the local, county, State and Federal governments. It has been 
seamless, for the most part. Then you mix in the NGOs, the Red Cross, 
the Salvation Army, and citizens who would hear the call and come to 
work to muck out basements, cut up debris. The spirit of community in 
Colorado has never been stronger. We ought to reflect that here. We 
were sent here to reflect that approach. That is America at its best.
  I thank the Senator. I very much look to hearing the remarks of my 
friend and colleague Senator Bennet.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. BENNET. I wish to first say thanks to the great Senator from 
California at this time for her words. We need to pull together for 
other places, Sandy and other things. Now it is time for the country to 
embrace Colorado, as my senior Senator so eloquently said. I know he 
may have to leave the floor, but I wish to say how much I have 
appreciated his leadership in all of this. It has made a huge 
difference.
  The work that is really being done is the work on the ground, as 
Senator Udall was saying. That is the most important work--the first 
responders, neighbors helping neighbors. But it also has been a time 
when our political leadership has come together in a way at least for 
once not to get in the way and actually try to support the people who 
are just trying to serve their friends and neighbors. I wish to say 
thank you to Senator Udall, my senior Senator and my friend, for his 
leadership.
  As he mentioned, our State is a long way from recovering from the 
floods that have inflicted so much damage over this month. The damage 
has been historic. Based on the latest estimates, over 16,000 homes 
have been seriously damaged. Thousands have been destroyed. The 
floodwaters consumed more than 2,000 square miles across Colorado's 
Front Range--an area about twice the size of Rhode Island. To give some 
sense of scale, it would be as if Rhode Island were completely 
underwater twice or, as Senator Mark Udall said, as if it covered a 
State the size of Connecticut. The floods have tragically killed at 
least nine Coloradans. We hope that number won't go up, but we don't 
know if it will.
  Over the weekend I went to Jamestown, which is a small community 
about 14 miles northwest of Boulder, CO. Tara Schoedinger, the mayor of 
the town, showed me around. The damage to this one town was simply 
unbelievable. It was as if a bomb had gone off in the middle of this 
community. The flooding destroyed over a fifth of Jamestown's homes, 
half of its roads, both of its bridges, a central fire hall, and much 
more.
  The storm killed Joe Howlett, age 72, a beloved pillar of the 
Jamestown community. The mayor's house is right next to Joe's house. 
The mayor's house is fine. Joe Howlett's house was destroyed by a 
mudslide that came down from the very top of the hillside, the very top 
of the mountain behind his house, killing somebody who had been the 
glue of that community.
  I have a couple of photos from the visit that I wish to share to give 
a sense of scale of this damage.
  This used to be Main Street in Jamestown. We can see it passing 
between these two utility poles on either side of what is now a raging 
river. Main Street is gone. It is not the asphalt that is gone; the 
whole street, the roadbed is gone. All that remains is a torrential 
river that ran in a completely different place than it does today.
  This photo shows the end of Main Street in Jamestown. My deputy chief 
of staff took that picture. This is what Main Street used to look like. 
This is what Main Street in Jamestown, CO, looks like as we stand on 
the floor of the Senate today.
  I will say, as the senior Senator is still here, it was amazing, the 
resilience of the people of this community, the sense of humor people 
had, and the sense of community they had. There were probably 30 people 
or so left out of a town of 300. They had come back to see their 
belongings and to secure what was left of their homes. What they were 
talking about was how they were going to rebuild this community 
together. There were tears from time to time, as you naturally would 
expect there to be, but what really came through, as it always does at 
the back end of these disasters, was the human spirit we see in each 
one of our States. We are particularly proud of the Coloradans who are 
struggling together to get through this incredibly difficult time.
  In my mind, these are the most heartbreaking pictures, people who 
have dedicated their lives to being able to secure homes for their 
families.
  They, by the way, had no expectation there and in other parts of the 
State that they would ever be affected by a flood and see everything 
lost.
  One woman came up to me while I was there and said, ``this was our 
house.''
  It was in reasonably decent shape compared to some of the others I 
had seen. She also had a rental property down the road in which she had 
invested her life savings. She had no flood insurance.
  She said: I just don't know how we are not going to go broke as a 
result of this piece of bad luck.
  I also saw in Evans, CO--a rural community near Greeley in the 
northeastern part of the State--two trailer parks that had been 
entirely destroyed by floodwaters from 1 mile or 1\1/4\ miles away. In 
the middle of these trailer parks, there was a cement pipe that was 
about this tall sitting underneath a carport. The thing must have 
weighed tons. It was a huge culvert pipe that had come from 1\1/2\ 
miles away through these raging waters to position itself in this 
trailer park.
  The people who live there work in agriculture in our State, clean 
hotels in our community, and work in our oilfields in northeastern 
Colorado. When I went to the trailer park, the people were assessing 
the damage. They have lost everything. Because they couldn't qualify 
for financing for those trailer homes, they bought them with cash.
  One person there said: Senator, it is awfully lucky this happened 
during the day and not at night because our kids were at school during 
the day. If they had been there at night, we don't know how many of 
them would have been killed by these floodwaters.
  In addition to the human dimension of all of this, which is the most 
important dimension, the flooding also inflicted enormously costly 
damage to

[[Page S6995]]

Colorado's infrastructure. Over 200 miles of roads in Colorado have 
been affected by this flooding. The mountainous terrain in the State is 
going to make repair work exponentially more expensive and 
exponentially more difficult. I salute our Governor and everybody who 
is working to make sure that at least temporary roads are built to 
these communities in the next 90 days, which would otherwise be 
completely cut off.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from 
the Colorado Department of Transportation that estimates the total 
damage just to Colorado's federally maintained roads and highways. 
These are not our State and local roads; federally maintained roads and 
highways will exceed $400 million.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                State of Colorado,


                                 Department of Transportation,

                                   Denver, CO, September 25, 2013.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Speaker, House of Representatives
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader 
     Pelosi, and Minority Leader McConnell: As you know, this week 
     Colorado begins the process of rebuilding. Over a dozen 
     Colorado counties were devastated due to record-setting rains 
     and heavy flooding. Today, thousands of our neighbors are 
     without homes, power, or drinking water. For us to begin the 
     rebuilding process, we must repair our roads, bridges, and 
     culverts that were swept away by the floodwaters. We need the 
     help of Congress to begin this process.
       Multiple counties received over a foot of rain, which 
     turned to floodwater. Those floodwaters destroyed many 
     critical transportation connectors throughout our state. This 
     week, the waters are receding and the Colorado Department of 
     Transportation (CDOT) has begun to assess the damage. At this 
     time, we have identified a number of bridges in need of 
     significant repairs or replacement, and approximately 200 
     state highway lane miles that washed away. In the interim, 
     CDOT is working with the National Guard to restore access to 
     communities severed from the rest of the state. This includes 
     installing temporary crossing structures and gravel roads.
       Although cost estimates will certainly change as we 
     continue to inspect our infrastructure, CDOT's early estimate 
     indicates that approximately $475 million is needed to 
     rebuild our highway system. This estimate includes materials, 
     maintenance, reconstruction, and contracting costs. Last 
     week, the Colorado Transportation Commission directed over 
     $100 million--CDOT's entire contingency funding line--to 
     begin reconnecting critical roadways and communities. The 
     Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) also acted swiftly to 
     release $35 million in emergency funds. While these 
     contributions provide critical initial repair funds, CDOT has 
     already secured 19 contractors and have dedicated the 
     advanced funding from the FHWA. It is clear that existing 
     resources are inadequate to fix highway damage of this 
     magnitude. Furthermore, CDOT's $475 million estimate does not 
     include costs to rebuild destroyed city and county roads that 
     are also eligible for FHWA emergency funds.
       Approximately $1 billion is available from the FHWA 
     Emergency Relief Program. States rely on this program in 
     times of crisis and disaster to provide needed funding to 
     repair federal aid highways. Unfortunately, although adequate 
     funds are available, under the Disaster Relief Appropriations 
     Act of 2013, Colorado may receive no more than $100 million 
     in program relief. This is a significant hurdle for Colorado 
     as we anticipate damages to exceed this limit by four times 
     or more. In recent years, Congress raised the $100 million 
     cap for the most severe disasters. For example, the cap was 
     raised by Congress to $500 million for those states 
     devastated by Hurricane Sandy. And, for Hurricanes Gustav and 
     Ike, the cap was waived entirely for affected states. This 
     flood was of a magnitude that Colorado will likely never see 
     again and the total devastation will easily surpass several 
     billion dollars. For this reason, we urgently need help from 
     Congress.
       I join Governor John Hickenlooper and the Colorado 
     congressional delegation in asking for your leadership in 
     raising the program limit to $500 million for Colorado. 
     Before Coloradans can begin rebuilding their homes and lives, 
     we must rebuild the roads to their communities. Increasing 
     this cap swiftly is of the utmost importance so that we may 
     restore Colorado's transportation network. Please contact 
     Kurt Morrison at (303) 757-9703 or me should you have 
     questions. Thank you.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Donald E. Hunt,
                                               Executive Director.

  Mr. BENNET. Earlier this year Congress passed funding for Federal 
Highway Administration emergency relief. States such as Colorado that 
have been hit with significant natural disasters are eligible for 
funding. Our State will be in desperate need of these funds, as New 
Jersey and New York were in desperate need. The scale of the damage far 
exceeds what our States and local governments can cover.
  As my senior Senator said, there is a catch. There is a cap of $100 
million per incident, per State, on this Federal highway assistance.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from 
Gov. Hickenlooper urging Congress to raise the current cap on emergency 
funding and explaining why this is something Colorado desperately needs 
to have done.
                                                State of Colorado,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                   Denver, CO, September 23, 2013.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader 
     Pelosi, and Minority Leader McConnell: As you may know, this 
     month massive rains and heavy flooding left over a dozen 
     Colorado counties in devastation. With the rains, highways, 
     bridges, and culverts were washed away. As a result, even now 
     many communities still are cut off and isolated from the rest 
     of the state. Colorado is in dire need of help.
       Communities across Colorado's Front Range and Eastern 
     Plains are starting to deal with aftermath of the flooding 
     and destruction. The affected counties include Boulder, 
     Adams, Larimer, Weld, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, 
     Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, 
     and Washington--an area so expansive, that it surpasses that 
     of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island combined. 
     Early analyses show that the flooding was so severe that it 
     may not occur again for 500 to 1,000 years.
       Thousands of Colorado families are without homes, potable 
     water, or power. Before the state can fully restore essential 
     services to impacted towns and cities, and allow residents to 
     permanently return home, we must repair our devastated 
     highway system. Early estimates are that at least 50 bridges 
     will need significant repair--30 of which must be fully 
     replaced. Approximately 200 highway lane miles must be 
     reconstructed. Temporary crossing structures are needed in 
     the interim. And, today, numerous state highways and local 
     roads remain closed, cutting off primary, and in some cases 
     the only, access to Colorado cities and towns. Assessing the 
     damage to Colorado's highway system is underway. But early 
     assessments are that the damage will be several hundred 
     million dollars.
       Under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, 
     Public Law 113-2, the U.S. Federal Highways Administration 
     (FHWA) Emergency Relief Program (ERP), received over $2.02 
     billion to help states rebuild and repair damages to their 
     highways and bridges. In this bill, states impacted by 
     Hurricane Sandy could receive up to $500 million per disaster 
     in ERP funds; however, all remaining states--including 
     Colorado--were capped at $100 million per disaster.
       Given the widespread devastation to our state highway 
     system, we are respectfully asking that Congress raise this 
     $100 million cap for Colorado as well. As the Colorado 
     congressional delegation stated in a letter to the House and 
     Senate Appropriations Committees, there are precedents for 
     waiving or raising this cap. For example, the $100 million 
     was waived in response to damage caused by Hurricanes Gustav 
     and Ike, and Hurricane Irene and the Missouri River basin 
     flooding. Recently, the cap was raised to $500 million for 
     those states devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
       Based on Colorado's anticipated highway needs and the 
     precedents mentioned above, we ask that you raise this cap 
     for Colorado. Time and again, Congress has answered the call 
     to help communities during times of disaster and loss. The 
     September 2013 floods may prove to be the worst natural 
     disaster in the history of our state, and is likely the worst 
     we shall ever see in our lifetimes. Before we rebuild our 
     homes and businesses, we must rebuild our roads to reopen our 
     communities. On behalf of all Coloradans, please raise this 
     cap to $500 million, so that we may begin this process.
           Sincerely,
                                                John Hickenlooper,
                                                         Governor.

  Mr. BENNET. Senator Udall and I have a simple bill that would raise 
the $100 million cap for Colorado for emergency funding for our 
highways, matching what Congress has done, as Senator Udall has said, 
many times previously--in fact, as far as I know,

[[Page S6996]]

every time an issue like this has arisen.
  We have already talked to the Congressional Budget Office about this. 
They have looked at the bill. They have told us that it will not cost 
the Federal Government one dime because the money is already there. It 
has already been appropriated. It just needs to be used for the purpose 
Congress laid out--to help States with major disasters that inflicted 
cost damage on that State's highway system.
  Colorado needs this Congress to act, and act now, to get this done so 
that Colorado can access the highway aid we will clearly need to 
recover in the coming months.
  This $100 million cap on emergency funding from the Federal Highway 
Administration, as I mentioned earlier, has been lifted many times 
before. It has been done routinely and swiftly by this Congress 
following other major disasters when it was obvious--as it is in our 
case--that federally maintained highway costs would exceed $100 
million. We lifted it for the Sandy States, as I have pointed out, 
earlier this year when we passed the Sandy supplemental on January 29, 
2013. We lifted it on November 18 for Hurricane Irene and the Missouri 
River basin flooding. We lifted it on September 30, 2008, for 
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. We lifted it on May 25, 2007, for storms in 
the State of California. We lifted it on December 20, 2005, for 
Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. All told, Congress has 
waived this $100 million cap 14 times in the past 25 years. It is 
routine, and it is normal when there is a major disaster that causes 
major highway damage in excess of $100 million.
  Senator Udall and I have been working with our colleagues in the 
Senate. Nearly all of them have indicated a readiness to work with us 
to pass this bill. I am very grateful for that.
  I also wish to thank my colleagues for working with us to get this 
done quickly for Colorado in recognition of how badly we need this cap 
lifted and this Federal funding made available.
  I urge my colleagues to pull together to work with us to quickly 
clear this bill in the coming days so we can get Coloradans the help 
they need.
  If you will indulge me a few more minutes--and if the Senator from 
California would as well--I wish to take a quick moment to tell you why 
this is so important.
  A picture tells a thousand words--especially when I am the one who is 
speaking. I want to show the damage to Colorado highways as a result of 
this historic flooding.
  This photograph was taken during a helicopter tour by Vice President 
Biden, Governor Hickenlooper, and FEMA officials of flood damage in 
Greeley, CO, earlier this week. We can see that a huge portion of the 
road has washed away and water has breached a dam.
  I would like to say that FEMA has been doing a tremendous job with 
our local and State officials.
  This is a section of Highway 72 that collapsed and washed away after 
a flash flood tore through Coal Creek near Golden, CO, which is outside 
of Denver--maybe in Golden they would say Denver is outside of Golden. 
This is what the road looks like there.
  A bridge on the south side of Lyons is gone. Huge portions have 
broken off. This is a photo of the bridge that is missing. Here is 
another shot of large portions of U.S. 34 washed away.
  This is a very clear example of the way these mountain roads work. In 
this case, when the prospectors first came to Colorado, what they would 
do is pan for gold in the bottom of the rivers, near the plains. They 
would see whether there was gold leaf there. That would lead them to 
walk up these valleys--very steep valleys--to see where the gold was 
coming from. They founded towns in these places. That is the way the 
river came, then the road followed the river, and that allowed them to 
get to their town. You can see in this case this road has been 
completely washed out by the river.
  This is just another instance of mountain roads where we can see the 
dropoff below is what used to be road but no longer is.
  Here is a roadway that, when this photo was taken, is completely 
submerged and with extensive damage. And then this, what used to be a 
ribbon of pavement, is now in fragments in the remaining water.
  In times of disaster in this country, we have stood together time and 
time again. Working on behalf of the people of Colorado, along with 
Senator Udall, that is what we are asking for again. We have pulled 
together with all of our colleagues and we are going to need all of you 
to pull together with us.
  The Founding Fathers had a lot of work to do and they are often 
quoted around this place, but they were engaged in founding a country, 
not dismantling one. This is a reminder of why this vision was so 
important and why people, frankly, are counting on us to carry this on 
for this generation of Americans and for the generations that will 
follow us.
  With that, I thank the Chair for his indulgence, and I yield the 
floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Hirono). The Senator from California.

                          ____________________