[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H616-H617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUNDING

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Madam Speaker, 2018 was a tough year for so many 
Americans. We had families and farmers and people all across California 
whose homes were destroyed, people who lost their lives, lost their 
farms, lost their businesses. In other parts of the country, there were 
storms and hurricanes that similarly devastated communities.
  My home State of Hawaii was one of them. We were battered by natural 
disasters of all types last year on nearly all of our islands, from 
major flooding and landslides on Kauai and Oahu in April, an erupting 
volcano throughout May and June, and flooding and wildfires on multiple 
islands in August.
  But, time and again, in Hawaii and across the country, people have 
proved their resilience and strength, living aloha, taking care of each 
other, even when they have lost everything.
  Today, we are voting to pass funding that is sorely needed by 
communities like mine, where people are still struggling to get back on 
their feet with limited resources.
  This bill provides funding for things like crop insurance, 
reconstructing facilities, water infrastructure projects, crisis 
counseling, rebuilding homes, small businesses, and more.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this necessary funding

[[Page H617]]

bill and provide a helping hand to those whose lives will never be the 
same because of these disasters

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