[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 102 (Monday, June 17, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4107-S4108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Disaster Relief Funding

  Mr. WELCH. Madam President, the United States had 75 major disaster 
declarations since July of 2023. Just last week, a flood tore through 
southern Florida, and it is only a matter of time before another State 
is hit.
  This ``natural disaster'' caucus is growing, and it is growing 
quickly. It is a caucus none of us want to join nor do we ask to join, 
but instead are forced into it with a single mission: to help our 
constituents--our communities that have been through unimaginable 
suffering and pain--to get the resources that they need.
  Vermonters know all too well the immense toll a natural disaster 
takes. It takes it on our communities and our economy.
  Nearly 1 year ago, Vermont experienced nonstop rain over a period of 
several days. It led to flash flooding, washouts, and mudslides all 
across our State. It was brutal. Homes and businesses and farms and 
public infrastructure were damaged, and many were destroyed. It was an 
all-hands-on-deck moment, and neighbors helped neighbors dig out. From 
the municipal level to the Federal Government, we tried to help people 
get back on their feet. And we did get back on our feet, but the 
damage--if it was your home, if it was your business, if it was your 
farm--is still lasting.
  I have come to the Senate many times since the floodwaters receded to 
share stories of Vermonters. Their stories are of resiliency through 
hardship. Vermonters have stories of community and grit and 
determination. And I am proud, of course, of Vermonters, but I believe 
that this is the case in communities throughout our Nation.
  But our recovery, despite that, is far from complete. Madam 
President, I will say it loud, clear, and directly: Vermont needs more 
recovery money. What happened to these families and to these businesses 
was an act of nature--no fault of their own--but they deserve a shot to 
get back on their feet.
  And as I revisit communities that were hit hard by flooding--places 
like Barre, Johnson, Hardwick, Montpelier, Ludlow, and Londonderry--it 
is clear that work to recover from this flood will last for years. 
There are home and business buyouts that are stalled, farmers who need 
help, and resiliency projects that need to get done before the next 
flood comes--and it will be coming.
  We need supplemental disaster funding, and we really do need it now. 
The funds need to be flexible so that our communities in Vermont, in 
Hawaii, in Texas, in Florida, in California, and in other States can 
use the funds as needed for their recovery to their unique needs.
  A flood and a fire require different recovery strategies, and that 
should be reflected in the funding. That is why the community 
development block grants for disaster recovery are so critical. They 
are flexible. They are local-led. These funds give the communities the 
flexibility needed to rebuild and recover, allowing them to prepare for 
future disasters and safeguard their communities. Senator Schatz has 
been a fantastic partner in this, and I am thankful for his leadership 
as subcommittee chair on the Appropriations Committee.
  Last week, the Joint Economic Committee's Democratic majority 
released a new report on the economic cost of flooding. The findings 
are really stunning: Flooding will cost $180 to $496 billion each year. 
These costs are probably an undercount. They are only a fraction of 
what our communities truly endure as we recover from a flood. I 
encourage my colleagues and everyone listening to read this report. See 
for yourself how climate change is ravaging our economy.
  There are obvious ways that flooding costs our economy: structural 
damages to our homes, farms, businesses, schools, transit systems, and 
more; infrastructure upgrades needed to protect against future 
flooding; and the direct and indirect commercial impacts from flooding. 
But then there are the costs that you might not consider: costs 
associated with flood-related deaths; decreased tax revenues; increases 
in insurance premiums; and crop loss, among the many other costs.
  This should be an alarm bell. It should give pause to every one of my 
colleagues in the Senate and in the House because every State could be 
the next victim of the severe weather that is all about us as a result 
of the change in our climate. Vermonters know it all too well.
  But there is good news. We can do something to mitigate these costs. 
Another recent analysis found that every $1--$1--spent on flood 
resiliency efforts saves up to $318 in flood-related damages. It is a 
pretty good return on investment.
  And if you want to talk about cost-saving measures, resiliency 
funding should absolutely be paired with recovery funding for natural 
disasters. We need to build back in a more resilient way after natural 
disasters hit, not build back in the same way for it to be done all 
over again.
  I was just in Brattleboro on Friday, where I saw a new FEMA-funded 
floodplain restoration project. It is terrific. A similar project 
helped downtown Brattleboro avoid damage during the July floods and 
will hopefully help the community avoid flooding in the future when the 
rains come again.
  We cannot rebuild in the same way and in the same place and hope for 
the best. The reality is that climate change is here, and it is 
unpredictable. We need to do more to make our homes, farms, and 
communities more resilient.
  Gone are the days, by the way, of so-called climate havens. In 2020, 
ProPublica and the New York Times Magazine published a report that 
found that in Vermont, Lamoille County, Orange County, Franklin County, 
and Essex County were the top four counties in the United States to 
live in to avoid climate change-related crises.

  I can tell you--as a Vermonter--no longer. Climate change has come to 
all of Vermont.
  I am going to keep working with my friends and colleagues, the senior 
Senator from Vermont Senator Sanders and Representative Balint in the 
House, to get Vermont the flood recovery funding we need, but I want to 
do that in partnership with every other Senator and Representative 
whose districts need flood recovery funding.
  Congress, in both Chambers and both parties, need to come together to 
help

[[Page S4108]]

all our States impacted through a natural disaster. The next natural 
disaster, be it a flood, a fire, a tornado, or a hurricane, could 
happen in your State. And as we often say, there but for the grace of 
God go I.
  I urge my colleagues to have grace for their fellow Americans and 
fellow colleagues who need the help now because you never know when 
your State could be next.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up 
to 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.