[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 22, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H3548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FEMA CUTS AND HURRICANE SEASON

  (Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Madam Speaker, the harrowing videos and stories out of 
Texas earlier this month are another reminder of how unpredictable and 
dangerous weather has become. Climate change is fueling more frequent 
and extreme weather events, and the Federal Government has a duty to be 
ready to respond quickly.
  What happened in Texas shows we need to strengthen FEMA, not weaken 
it. That means making sure the agency is fully staffed and fully 
funded. That means answering the phones.
  Unfortunately, the administration is doing the opposite, gutting our 
Nation's largest emergency management agency.
  As a New Yorker, I saw the flooding in Texas and immediately thought 
of hurricane season on the East Coast. It has been a few years since a 
major storm hit our region. We are due. Local and State agencies are 
preparing, but this year they are doing so without the help of FEMA's 
predisaster mitigation grants because the administration canceled the 
program.
  Cutting emergency preparedness funding doesn't prevent disasters. It 
just makes them harder to handle. Once again, it is Americans who will 
pay the price.

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