[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1610]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           EXPRESSING SYMPATHY TO VICTIMS OF SOUTHERN STORMS

  (Mr. GORDON of Tennessee asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, my grandfather used to tell 
me that the most important road in the county was the one in front of 
your house. And I think we all know that is true in many different 
ways, particularly in times of tragedy.
  We have been in this well and we've talked about Katrina and we have 
talked about a bridge that fell in Minnesota, and we have all had 
tragedies in our areas in different ways, and I think we all feel 
sympathetic.
  But for those folks in Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, 
Mississippi, and Tennessee, once again we feel it very intensely. It is 
the road in front of our house today. There were 50 lives lost, 32 in 
Tennessee, 22 of those were in my district. Many folks were displaced. 
We are not going to have electricity back in many areas for another few 
days.
  As I ask for a moment of silence, I also want us to feel the 
community of our entire House and our entire country. I think we felt 
that as we have helped in other places. Again, I just remind Members 
that this happened in our area this time. It can happen in your area 
next time.
  But we are all together, and as we commemorate those dead and 
misplaced in our States, we also want to remember your States, too.
  I ask for a moment of silence.
  The SPEAKER. All Members will please rise and observe a moment of 
silence in respect of those affected by the recent tragedy.

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