[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H1243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBERING WASHINGTON STATE LANDSLIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. DelBene) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DelBENE. Madam Speaker, I rise today on a solemn occasion.
  A decade ago this week, Washington State confronted one of the worst 
natural disasters in its history. On the morning of March 22, a 
hillside near the communities of Oso and Darrington collapsed, creating 
a devastating landslide that killed 43 people in just seconds. It was 
and still remains the single deadliest landslide in U.S. history.
  Karen Pszonka lost six members of her family, including her daughter, 
Katie, and grandsons, Wyatt and Hunter. Three generations of her family 
were wiped out in less than 2 minutes along with so many others.
  In the aftermath of this landslide, I authored the National Landslide 
Preparedness Act, which was signed into law in 2021. It has been a 
vital resource for communities to better identify, plan for, and 
respond to landslides in the years since.
  The law expands early warning systems, improves mapping technology, 
and provides States with grants to improve preparedness. The landslide 
law expires in a few months.
  Madam Speaker, I recently introduced bipartisan legislation with 
Congresswomen Schrier and Gluesenkamp Perez and Senators Cantwell and 
Murkowski to keep these programs going. This law passed with strong 
bipartisan support last time. We must do this again to ensure that the 
next natural disaster does not become the next national tragedy.

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