[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Texas Storms

  Madam President, on another matter, like many parts of the country, 
Texas has been impacted by severe weather. Last weekend, parts of my 
State were impacted by severe storms, bringing hail, rain, and winds up 
to 70 miles per hour. The quick-moving storms hurled debris and caused 
extensive and widespread damage. One of the most devastating scenes was 
an apartment building that was sliced by a construction crane and took 
a life.
  In the wake of the storm, hundreds of thousands of North Texans lost 
their power, and many of them are still waiting for the lights to come 
back on. And if you have been in Texas during June, you know it is not 
just your lights you want; you want your air-conditioning to run as 
well. There is never a good time or circumstance to be without power, 
but in Texas, June is far from ideal.
  As many Texans keep working to get back to some sense of normalcy, I 
want to express my gratitude to the first responders who have been 
working tirelessly to support our communities. I have immense respect 
and gratitude for those who take on these difficult and sometimes 
thankless jobs. We need to tell them every chance we get that we 
appreciate the work they do to protect our communities every day and 
especially during times of natural disasters.
  Somehow, these challenging times have a way of bringing communities 
closer together and reminding us that through the hard times, we still 
have a lot to be thankful for.
  In the wake of these storms, I have read dozens of stories about 
friends and neighbors and kindhearted strangers helping one another.
  There was a man who lived in the apartment building that was struck 
by the crane I mentioned a moment ago who said he spotted a neighbor 
trapped inside his car in the garage, which he described as ``facing 
straight down.'' He and another neighbor said ``We can't leave him like 
that'' and exposed themselves to danger to pull the man through the 
back window and help him escape safely.
  A neighborhood in East Dallas came together to help a woman cut and 
remove trees that fell over her home, saving her a lot of time and 
money.
  Even though the neighborhood is dealing with widespread power 
outages, one person with a generator has kept a refrigerator on with 
the community's groceries.
  I also read about restaurant workers who helped a woman from Frisco 
whose car had been hit by a falling tree. While the woman and her 3-
year-old niece were able to escape the vehicle, her friend was trapped 
inside. The employees at this restaurant ran into the storm to help 
lift the tree so her friend could escape. They then gave her food, 
blankets, and even drove them to a nearby Target so they could find 
some dry clothes.
  The restaurant owner downplayed their actions saying:

       I don't think we really did anything out of the ordinary 
     that anybody else wouldn't do. We were just being good 
     Samaritans.

  I am grateful for the Good Samaritans across Texas who put themselves 
in harm's way in order to help their neighbors. As I said earlier, in 
times of tragedy or hardship, it is heartwarming to see stories like 
these that remind us of how lucky we are, in Texas and across the 
country, to live in supportive communities.
  In closing, I want to thank the first responders, utility workers, 
and newfound friends who have supported one another through these 
storms. I will continue to keep the families of those killed and 
injured in my prayers, and I hope power will soon be fully restored.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.