[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 182 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DISASTER RELIEF

  (Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the 
House, the Senate, and the administration to adopt a disaster relief 
bill before December 7.
  In recent months, we have witnessed catastrophes that have struck our 
Nation coast to coast, from wildfires across California, flooding in 
the Carolinas, and the incredible loss of agriculture in my home State 
of Georgia from Hurricane Michael.
  Agriculture is the largest and oldest economic driver in the State of 
Georgia. The past few years, farmers have faced low commodity prices, 
unfair trade practices from foreign countries, labor shortages, and low 
crop yields that have created a strain on their businesses. They have 
also hurt the surrounding rural economies. Hurricane Michael made all 
of these past losses pale in comparison.
  Following the storm, the likes of which Georgia has not seen in over 
a century, President Trump and Vice President Pence visited my district 
and heard firsthand from farmers about how they went from having the 
best crops to no crops in a matter of hours. This disaster has been 
heartbreaking, and without additional Federal assistance, it will break 
the back of Georgia's rural economy.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not a partisan issue; this is an American issue. 
I call on this Chamber to act now to help these farmers and others 
across our great Nation who are struggling with the aftermath of these 
disasters.

                          ____________________