[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

  (Mr. Kennedy of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
National Preparedness Month because when disaster strikes, preparedness 
is not optional. It is essential.
  Since 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has led a 
national preparedness campaign to improve emergency readiness. From 
building supply kits to organizing volunteer efforts to raising 
awareness about emergency alert systems, National Preparedness Month is 
a reminder that communities can reduce and, in some cases, prevent 
devastation.
  Disasters don't wait for election cycles or budget negotiations. 
Floods, fires, blizzards, hurricanes, and tornadoes arrive suddenly, 
shattering lives and testing our Nation's resiliency.
  When these moments arrive, FEMA must be ready to act as the lifeline 
that millions of Americans depend on, especially as these events are 
becoming more frequent, destructive, and unpredictable.
  Last year alone, the United States experienced 27 disasters, costing 
more than $1 billion: wildfires in the West, flooding in the South, 
hurricanes along our coasts, tornadoes in the heartland, and blizzards 
in the North.
  As the ranking member of the Emergency Management and Technology 
Subcommittee, I have seen firsthand the importance of FEMA's work and 
the pressing need to safeguard its mission.
  This National Preparedness Month, the stakes are much higher. At the 
very moment when Americans need strong, stable leadership in Federal 
emergency management, some in this Chamber and in the White House are 
pushing to undermine it.
  Let me be clear: Eliminating FEMA, cutting preparedness grants, or 
hollowing out the Agency's workforce is not just reckless. It is 
playing politics with people's lives. It leaves families stranded, 
communities overwhelmed, and local responders without the Federal 
support they desperately need.
  Preparedness begins locally, with families making plans, schools 
running emergency drills, local and State leaders building resilient 
infrastructure, and emergency managers issuing alerts for dangerous 
conditions, but no city, county, or State can manage the full scale of 
today's disasters alone.
  That is why FEMA exists. It is the backbone of our Nation's disaster 
readiness and a bridge to recovery.
  Now is the time to strengthen FEMA, not to dismantle it. FEMA brings 
the surge capacity, coordination, and resources that no municipality 
can summon alone. From housing assistance and debris removal to hazard 
mitigation and long-term rebuilding, FEMA is the connective tissue of 
our national preparedness.
  As Members of Congress, we have a duty to ensure our constituents and 
the communities we represent never have to wonder whether their Federal 
Government will be there to support them when disaster strikes.
  Disasters do not discriminate between red States and blue States. 
Preparedness is not partisan. It is a shared responsibility and moral 
obligation.
  This National Preparedness Month, we owe it to every family, first 
responder, and community to ensure FEMA stands ready to help, respond, 
recover, and rebuild.

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