[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             EMERGENCY DISASTER FUNDS NECESSARY FOR FLORIDA

  (Mr. YOUNG of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, when natural disasters occur 
around the world, or especially in the United States, we respond. But 
of all of these natural disasters that we have experienced, seldom has 
an entire State been affected. But thanks to tropical storm Bonnie, 
Hurricane Charley, and Hurricane Frances, every section of Florida has 
been affected.
  President Bush, Governor Bush, Mike Brown, the Director of FEMA, and 
our State and local emergency responders have done an outstanding job, 
and the people of Florida have done an outstanding job in beginning to 
put their lives back together. But today FEMA, who handles our disaster 
funding, is running out of money, and by midnight tonight their funds 
will be exhausted.
  I have introduced a supplemental bill, as requested by the President, 
and, hopefully, we can pass it here in the House this afternoon, and 
the Senate will be able to take it up later this evening. It is 
important because FEMA is out of money. It is important to make sure 
that everybody knows that this is not going to be the total cost. This 
is just emergency funding to keep the cash flowing to those disaster 
areas in my State of Florida.

                          ____________________