[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 18 (Friday, January 27, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E64-E65]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE COORDINATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 25, 2023

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 255 to amend 
the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to develop a study regarding 
streamlining and consolidating information collection and preliminary 
damage assessments.
  Specifically, the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act 
extends the deadline for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
to conduct a study and develop a plan under which the collection of 
information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be 
made less difficult and time consuming for applicants and grantees.
  H.R. 255 also would require FEMA to create a plan for the collection 
and reporting of data regarding federal disaster aid awarded.
  In addition, FEMA must provide Congress with a detailed report on the 
strategies for organizing and expediting data collection, and 
preliminary damage assessments.
  Natural disasters are occurring more often and are causing more 
damages and adverse impacts for Americans, including harm to homes and 
property.
  On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, just 
north of Corpus Christi, as a category 4 storm.
  An estimated 13 million people were impacted by Harvey, nearly 
135,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the catastrophic flooding, 
and up to a million cars were totaled.
  According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm caused $125 
billion in damages. Except for Hurricane Katrina, that number surpasses 
all previous natural disasters in American history.
  In order to support reaction and recovery activities across 270,000 
square miles, FEMA organized massive deployments of federal employees 
both before and after the hurricanes' landfalls.
  Only $571.8 million in FEMA aid was given to Texas households out of 
the disaster's $125 billion in damages.

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  Despite the fact that catastrophe required a great deal of aid, few 
people actually received aid due to obstacles in the application 
process.
  H.R. 255 would eliminate some of the obstacles that Texas residents 
experienced when attempting to obtain federal aid after Hurricane 
Harvey.
  This bill would streamline the collection of information, reduce 
duplication of process, and make it easier for disaster victims to 
obtain assistance.
  Lawmakers must improve the process for our constituents to receive 
aid as we see an uprise in these climate disasters.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation that 
would make the federal assistance process easier for victims of natural 
disasters.

                          ____________________