[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 9 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DISASTER RELIEF

  (Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, for 2 weeks we have watched 
brutal, orange flames engulf homes, leaving ash and heartache in their 
wake for both rich and poor southern Californians. Four months ago, 
North Carolina confronted horrifying destruction from Hurricane Helene.
  While we can never put all the pieces back together and we can never 
replace all that has been taken by fire or flood, we as lawmakers have 
a duty to ensure the American people can rebuild.
  Disaster relief is a lifeline. Disaster relief through FEMA, started 
by President Carter, gets food, water, power, and shelter to survivors.
  In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in my State, my home county of 
Montgomery County received more than $30 million for cleanup and 
repair. Even so, 3\1/2\ years later claims hang in limbo. Some families 
still cannot return home.
  FEMA is working nonstop to support victims in more than 100 
disasters. As these natural disasters become more and more frequent, we 
pray for these communities. Yet faith without works is dead. We must 
commit to fully funding FEMA and the extraordinary work they do with no 
strings attached. That is what it is to be Americans.

                          ____________________