[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
             ANNIVERSARY OF ALABAMA'S DEVASTATING TORNADOES

  (Ms. SEWELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to observe the 1-year 
anniversary of the devastating tornadoes of January 12, 2023, that 
struck Alabama's Seventh Congressional District, including my hometown 
of Selma, Alabama. In the year since the disaster, my team and I have 
been working diligently with our Federal, State, and local partners to 
coordinate an effort and a response to this disaster.
  We are immensely grateful to President Biden for his expedited 
approval of Governor Ivey's disaster declaration and for granting my 
request to increase the Federal cost share for debris removal to 100 
percent.
  Following the storms, I hosted our first community conversation, so 
that our friends and neighbors could share their thoughts about our 
recovery. With that in mind, we were able to successfully secure a 
$500,000 Federal planning grant from EDA to support long-term recovery 
efforts in Selma and Dallas County.
  Working together, we have delivered more than $22 million in FEMA and 
SBA, small business assistance, to Greene County, Hale County, Sumter 
County, and Dallas County. We also secured $2 million from the Delta 
Regional Authority to repave Selma roads, and a $500,000 CHOICE grant 
from HUD to build more affordable housing.
  While there is so much more work to be done, Mr. Speaker, I am proud 
of the progress we have made, and I extend my sincere thanks to every 
individual, every agency that has helped us. We are on the road to 
recovery, and we will build back better because of your efforts.

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