[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6141-H6142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING SAMARITAN'S PURSE AND MOUNTAIN WAYS

  (Mr. BURCHETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the incredible work being done 
by Samaritan's Purse run by Franklin Graham and Mountain Ways run by my 
friend Joe Baker in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane 
Helene.
  When the storm left countless families without homes, power, or hope, 
these organizations stepped up immediately. They didn't wait for a list 
of instructions or wonder how they would

[[Page H6142]]

get it done. They got to work delivering food, supplies, and hands-on 
assistance to those hit hardest.
  Samaritan's Purse and Mountain Ways embody the best of who we are as 
Americans: neighbor helping neighbor, faith in action, and compassion 
when it is needed most. Their efforts have been a lifeline for the 
victims of Helene, providing not just relief but dignity and hope.
  We need to take a hard look at how FEMA funds are distributed. Using 
these funds as flow-throughs to organizations like Samaritan's Purse 
and Mountain Ways will get resources where they are needed faster and 
more efficiently.
  The truth is these groups know the communities, they know the needs, 
and they deliver the results because they live there.
  Mr. Speaker, when push comes to shove and people need help the most, 
it is organizations like these that come through and save the day, not 
the Federal Government.
  I would ask everybody to remember these folks in their prayers this 
weekend as apparently there is going to be some pretty bad snowstorms 
up there, and those people are just living in tents, Mr. Speaker, still 
waiting on aid from FEMA.

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