[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20045]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             DROUGHT RELIEF

  (Mrs. MUSGRAVE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of this 
legislative session and I near the end of my freshman term, I am amazed 
by the power this body has when it wants to act quickly. The speed at 
which recent emergency funding for hurricane victims passed just goes 
to show what can be accomplished in Congress and how quickly.
  Serving my rural district in Colorado, I come to the floor this 
morning to urge action on funding for victims of another major natural 
disaster, our 6-year drought, which has devastated farmers and ranchers 
throughout the West. This is a matter of importance that is not being 
reported on the 24-hour cable news networks or capturing front-page 
headlines across the Nation because it is not a sudden, horrific force 
like hurricanes; but it is very critical nonetheless.
  When I am at home on the weekends, I see the devastation firsthand. I 
see the worry and the anxiety. I see the detriment this natural 
disaster is imposing on the local small town economies. Recently, the 
other body included $3 billion for drought relief in the Department of 
Homeland Security bill.
  To my colleagues here in the House, I urge support of this funding 
for drought relief. Floridians boarded up before their natural 
disasters. Let us make sure rural Colorado does not after theirs.

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