[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7100-H7101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HURRICANE HARVEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Maxine Waters) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, on August 26, Hurricane 
Harvey began a path of unprecedented destruction across southeast 
Texas. The historic levels of rainfall were so extraordinary that the 
National Weather Service had to add new colors to its map graphics just 
to record it.
  As of August 30, it was estimated that 24.5 trillion gallons of water 
had been dumped over Texas and Louisiana. Harvey is now being called 
the most extreme rain event in United States history.
  Year after year, the natural disasters that hit the United States are 
becoming more frequent and more severe. Democrats understand the root 
cause: climate change. It is long overdue for President Trump and the 
congressional Republicans to admit the truth.
  Quickly following the tragic news that Harvey was on a path to cause 
catastrophic flooding in Texas, President Trump pledged to help pass 
the necessary financial aid to begin the long recovery. But, of course, 
the President and Members of Congress all knew we had better not deny 
or delay funding for this very devastating natural disaster.
  The American people expected their government to quickly respond to 
Harvey. However, we must understand that there are other laws and 
policies that must be protected, laws that determine what the Congress 
can do and must do to assist our country with mitigation, preparedness, 
mapping, and affordable national flood insurance. The NFIP must be 
dealt with and must be understood.
  So Mr. Trump's previous record on the issue is appalling and is in 
direct contradiction to his latest pledge. Just days before Harvey made 
landfall, Trump repealed an Obama executive order that would have 
required the Federal Government to account for climate change so that 
infrastructure could be built to withstand catastrophic events. Trump 
also sent Congress a budget that cuts funding for programs that help us 
understand, prepare for, and recover from storms like Harvey.
  His budget slashes operations and funding for the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration's climate research, cuts $62 million 
from the National Weather Service, eliminates the Regional Coastal 
Resilience grants, guts Coastal Zone Management grants, and cuts $190 
million from the National Flood Insurance Program's flood mapping 
program.

  Trump's budget would also cut $114 million from the Department of 
Agriculture's disaster assistance that would help farmers recover 
livestock, crops, and equipment that would be felt in Texas where many 
farms are currently under several feet of water.
  His budget also completely eliminates HUD's Community Development 
Block Grant and HOME programs, vital grant programs that serve as one 
of the first available sources of funding to help communities recover 
even before disaster relief funding can be appropriated from Congress. 
What is more, Trump's budget would have cut $876 million from the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund, the very 
fund that he is now pledging billions of dollars of support for.
  So we are pleased that he learned after the fact. All told, Trump 
would cut billions of dollars for disaster preparedness and disaster 
relief programs. Of course, he also appointed a known climate change 
denier to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. So I, for one, am 
not surprised that this is where his priorities lie.
  The hypocrisy and shortsightedness do not end with Donald Trump. Let 
us remember that many House Republicans, including both Texas Senators, 
opposed disaster aid following Superstorm Sandy. Now that the shoe is 
on the other foot, they are asking for billions of dollars in taxpayer 
support for their constituents. Of course, we should pass a disaster 
aid package quickly and without hesitation because it is simply the 
right thing and the American people expect us to do it. But just as we 
are now witnessing the sudden change of heart for disaster relief in 
certain Members of Congress, I hope that we will see a similar change 
of heart in response to the push of certain Republicans to unwind the 
National Flood Insurance Program.

[[Page H7101]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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