[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 77 (Thursday, May 9, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Disaster Relief

  Mr. President, I also rise to speak on behalf of thousands of 
Mississippians who have been affected by catastrophic flooding and 
other natural disasters this year. Their plight and the unmet 
commitment made to them long ago provide us an opportunity to evaluate 
how we as public servants meet the expectations of the people.
  On February 25, 2019, the Governor of Mississippi declared a state of 
emergency due to strong storms, torrential rainfall, and severe 
flooding. Homes, property, businesses, and public infrastructure had 
been damaged statewide. On April 23, President Trump granted a major 
disaster declaration for the State of Mississippi to help communities 
recover from these events. I am grateful for the President's actions.
  A large portion of West Central Mississippi is experiencing the worst 
flood records since 1973. On April 1, more than 512,000 acres were 
flooded. Now, a little more than a month later, more than 488,000 acres 
in this highly productive agricultural region are still underwater, 
with conditions forecasted to get worse before they improve. To put 
that into perspective, these floodwaters span nearly 762 square miles 
as we speak. This flooding is affecting homes, roads, bridges, 
churches, schools, and the overall health and public safety of area 
residents. Septic tanks are overflowing. Snakes are in houses. The 
bloated bodies of drowned deer, bear, hogs, and other wildlife float in 
stagnant water. The residents of Mississippi's Eagle Lake are basically 
on an island. If someone needs emergency healthcare, it is virtually 
impossible for an ambulance to get to them.
  Further, hundreds of thousands of acres of prime agriculture and 
timberland will suffer significant damage or simply go unplanted this 
season. The economic impact on agriculture alone will be in the 
hundreds of millions of dollars.
  I observed the magnitude of the flooding and damages firsthand in a 
flyover with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a month ago. The 
situation on the ground is no different today. It is truly 
heartbreaking to see. While the full extent of damage can't be assessed 
until the floodwaters recede and residents can return to their homes, 
Mississippians, along with those in the Midwest experiencing similar 
challenges, need relief also.

  I commend the Appropriations Committee chairman and vice chairman for 
their continued efforts to reach an agreement on an emergency funding 
measure to help individuals and communities recover from natural 
disasters. I am especially grateful for their willingness to consider 
expanding the scope of the legislation to address the 2019 natural 
disasters. Federal assistance alone will not solve all the problems, 
and a long road to recovery lies ahead. However, disaster supplemental 
legislation will provide a very important first step.
  The outcome of the push and pull over disaster assistance highlights 
the need for us, as elected representatives, to consistently evaluate 
the Federal Government's performance on delivering promises to the 
American people. I cannot speak for others, but Mississippians would 
like to see more action and less acting from their leaders in 
Washington. Our Nation's environmental review and permitting process 
for infrastructure projects is the epitome of a flawed and broken 
bureaucracy in desperate need of repair.
  President Trump's Executive orders to expedited environmental reviews 
and approvals for high-priority infrastructure projects speak to the 
American public's frustration toward Washington and the never-ending 
bureaucratic redtape carried over from the Obama administration. I am 
grateful this administration has taken a strong stance to bring common 
sense to government operations. It should not take years and numerous 
acts of Congress to expand and deepen ports or tackle important 
infrastructure projects that would generate jobs and add billions to 
our Nation's economy. It should not take decades and numerous acts of 
Congress to complete critical flood control projects that will protect 
the lives and property of Americans while preventing the need for 
multibillion-dollar disaster measures. Congress should make it 
abundantly clear that one Federal Agency should not be able to prevent 
or delay another Federal Agency from delivering critical flood 
protections specifically authorized by the legislative branch. There 
are numerous examples of this--what most Americans consider bad 
government--across the country. The catastrophic flooding taking place 
in Mississippi is a prime example of one Agency that has worked at odds 
with another to the detriment of the public. So many Mississippians are 
exasperated by the fact that they are losing their homes and way of 
making a living, all the while knowing it could have been prevented.
  The Federal Government has yet to put in place the flood control 
improvement it has promised area residents since 1941. The fact is, 
they have made it worse. Make no mistake, today's flooding in 
Mississippi should not be happening. It is time for the Federal 
Government to step up and make good on its promises. It is time for the 
Federal Government to listen to the people in need of help and to help 
them.
  Over the past seven decades, significant taxpayer dollars have been 
invested in the Lower Mississippi River Valley to construct a 
comprehensive, systematic flood control solution which today consists 
of levees, drainage channels, and floodgates. The last remaining 
feature of this 77-year effort remains unconstructed due to the 
excessive, overburdensome regulations and redtape. Because of this, 
Mississippians are once again losing their homes and businesses, roads 
and bridges are being destroyed, and wildlife is dying--their habitat 
lost to contaminated floodwaters.
  I bring this to the attention of my colleagues because passage of 
disaster legislation is vital to my constituents and millions of people 
across the country. I also call attention to this situation to 
encourage us to strive to do a much better job in delivering for the 
American people. That is what our constituents expect, and that is what 
they deserve.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.