[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2732-S2733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Midwest Flooding

  Mr. President, for the third or fourth time, I want to visit with my 
colleagues about the flooding in the Midwest and particularly my State 
of Iowa. This is ongoing flooding in the Midwest and particularly Iowa, 
and it is not going to end for a while.
  Flooding on the Mississippi has gotten worse, as flood protection has 
not been adequate in several areas of Scott County along the 
Mississippi to deal with historic water levels.
  Parts of the downtown area in Davenport are now inundated with 
floodwaters. This picture is a perfect example of it. I think you 
probably have seen this on television quite a lot. This area includes 
many businesses and homes. It appears that this will be the most 
damaging flood in Davenport's history. Unfortunately, the National 
Weather Service reports that this week's forecast is filled with rain 
for the whole of our State of Iowa, which could cause additional 
flooding or reflooding throughout the State.
  The Missouri River could rise 2 to 4 feet, depending on location and 
tributary flows. As of right now, most of southwest Iowa is without 
even minimal flood protection due to the breached, overtopped, or 
compromised levees caused by the unique weather system that brought 
record flows down the lower Missouri River earlier this year. The Army 
Corps of Engineers is working to fix the large breaches, but 
communities are threatened by even minor rain.
  This recovery will be long, and Federal resources will continue to be 
needed as the restoration and the rebuilding that are necessary take 
place. I am committed to continuing to work at the Federal level to 
help Iowa and our neighboring States through this whole process.
  In April, the Environment and Public Works Committee held a field 
hearing on the Midwest floods chaired by Senator Ernst of Iowa, and she 
and I, along with other Senators, had a chance to question the Army 
Corps of Engineers on its management of the Missouri River.
  For years, I have worked with several of my congressional colleagues 
to make flood control the No. 1 priority of the Corps in its management 
of the Missouri River. Protection of life and property should take 
precedence over recreation and experiments that may or may not help 
endangered species and the other purposes of the river identified in 
the Army Corps of Engineers' master manual.
  From 1979 until the changes in that manual in 2004, the manual stated 
that the No. 1 priority was flood control; in other words, protecting 
life and property was more important than anything else. Changes to the 
manual made in the year 2004 made it so that the Corps must consider 
other purposes for the river. They have to balance these other purposes 
with flood control.
  Since 2004, there has been a dramatic increase in flood frequency and 
floodwater levels. The river's flood-carrying capacity has greatly 
changed, and

[[Page S2733]]

there were no natural events before 2011 that could have caused these 
changes.
  I reiterate--life safety and property should be the No. 1 priority of 
the Corps in its management of the Missouri River.
  My colleagues and I have also heard complaints about the unresponsive 
Corps and the lack of communication with local residents about the 
floods. After the 2011 floods, some communications were enhanced; 
however, a lack of updated data and communication was still one of the 
most common complaints.
  As a direct result of meetings with local levee sponsors, homeowners, 
small businesses, farmers, and other stakeholders, a group of 10 
Senators requested that the Corps begin sending email updates to all 
local sponsors on a weekly basis starting within 30 days. These updates 
should include snowpack levels, available flood control storage in the 
Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, cubic feet per second release 
rates at the system's dams, and flow rates to key tributaries, as well 
as current National Weather Service precipitation forecasts and the 
spring flood outlook.
  Today, the Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on 
oversight of the Public Works Program. My colleagues on the committee 
are asking Corps leadership about flood control on the Missouri River 
and what emergency resources are necessary to help the Corps with the 
recovery process.
  With over 100 miles of levees needing repair, we know that additional 
resources will be needed. We also know that the State of Iowa, Iowa 
communities, and individual Iowans will need assistance from programs 
such as the community development block grant and Economic Development 
Administration disaster accounts.
  I have been working with my colleagues on the Senate Appropriations 
Committee to ensure that critical funding for Iowa is provided through 
the emergency supplemental appropriations. I filed an amendment to the 
disaster bill, along with my colleagues from the Midwest, to help 
farmers who have lost an estimated $17.3 million to $34 million of 
their on-farm stored corn and soybeans. My amendment would allow 
impacted midwestern farmers to address agricultural losses not covered 
by crop insurance or other programs. I will continue to provide the 
Appropriations Committee with damage and need assessments for recovery 
in Iowa as we get further clarity on the actual numbers.
  Furthermore, several Midwest Senators and I introduced the Disaster 
Tax Relief Act of 2019. This bill includes a series of disaster tax 
relief provisions that will help American families and businesses 
recover from the terrible disasters that have occurred so far in 2019, 
including the Midwest flooding.
  The disaster tax relief provisions we have worked on will reduce 
penalties and make it easier for people to access retirement funds so 
that individuals and families can get back on their feet faster and 
rebuild their lives. They also make it easier for disaster victims to 
claim personal casualty losses, and they suspend certain limitations on 
charitable contributions to encourage more donations for disaster 
relief. For businesses affected by the disasters, this tax relief is 
available to help them retain employees while the businesses get back 
up and running.

  Iowa Governor Reynolds and her administration are working closely 
with FEMA on adding Scott County to the existing disaster declaration 
and on other key needs, such as housing assistance for communities in 
southwest Iowa that have very few existing options for people to return 
to or stay in those communities.
  I have talked to Acting Administrator Gaynor of FEMA about this 
matter and urged him to promptly work on getting this much needed 
assistance to those in need.
  Governor Reynolds has also established a flood recovery advisory 
board to coordinate flood recovery and rebuilding efforts across 
Federal, State, and local levels of government. As an ex-officio 
member, I am looking forward to participating in these meetings to 
ensure that the Federal Government is offering needed assistance to 
Iowans affected by the flooding.
  This isn't a case of our doing something new through the Federal 
Government for people hurt by natural disasters; this is a case of 
following policy that has been part of the Federal Government for 
several decades that the Federal Government is an insurer of last 
resort for natural disasters that can't be anticipated and appropriate 
insurance provided in advance.
  So I expect that the Federal Government will do exactly what we have 
done for decades and do it in a nonpartisan way, almost in a consensus 
way, as we have in the past, and replenish these funds that provide the 
money for this disaster.
  I happen to appreciate the stamina and determination of Iowans in 
fighting these natural disasters. Many of these people I am referring 
to have a long recovery ahead of them. This Iowa spirit will help us 
pull through these difficult times stronger and better, just as we have 
in the past.