[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14571]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              REMEMBERING THOSE DEVASTATED BY IOWA FLOODS

  (Mr. BRALEY of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, I got in a plane 
and flew back home to Waterloo, Iowa, to a district and a State 
underwater. The railroad bridge in downtown Waterloo was torn down by 
the raging waters of the Cedar River, and my entire State went through 
the worst natural disaster in our State's history.
  It is hard to believe that that much time has passed, but the work 
continues and the good, resilient people of Iowa continue to build, 
which is why Secretary Donovan is there today announcing the latest 
rounds of HUD assistance to help people get back on their feet and 
rebuild their homes.
  I will be wearing next week, in the congressional baseball game, the 
jersey of the Anamosa Blue Raiders. Last year, this baseball team's 
entire field was under 10 feet of water, and it is a symbol of what 
happens when communities all over this country are devastated by 
natural disasters. That is why the work we do in this body is so 
important, and I continue to call upon people to keep in mind those who 
are devastated in a similar way in the years and days ahead.

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