[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H7412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             KEYS RECOVERY

  (Mr. CURBELO of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I left Washington last week to 
be with my family and community as Hurricane Irma headed straight 
toward south Florida.
  Some in the lower and middle Keys lost everything to the storm's 130-
mile-per-hour winds and 10-foot storm surge. Some lost their lives. But 
with the Keys' tourism-based economy currently at a standstill, perhaps 
the greatest devastation will be the financial strain on individuals, 
families, and small entrepreneurs.
  But there is hope. Conchs are resilient and generous people. It will 
be a long road, but coordinated local, State, and Federal resources 
have ensured the Keys recovery is already underway.
  I have returned to Washington briefly to urge my colleagues to 
support two critical needs here in Congress: long-term, robust funding 
of FEMA, and a tax relief package for those trying to rebuild and 
recover after disasters like Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.
  Mr. Speaker, this can happen to any district or community. Whether it 
is a hurricane, wildfire, or earthquake, we have a responsibility to 
come together when large groups of Americans are in desperate need. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to do just that.

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