[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, if you've ever had a natural disaster affect 
your area or if you have ever visited a natural disaster, be it in 
California, my home State, or on the east coast or in the Midwest, 
whether Iowa and the floods or Missouri in recent times, and spoke to 
and listened to the pain in the voices and saw the fright in the eyes 
of the people affected, you would wonder why we are not bringing this 
legislation to the floor. It isn't about a natural disaster; it's about 
a human experience.
  When I was a very new Member of Congress in the late eighties, we 
were affected in California by the Loma Prieta earthquake. I bring that 
up because the very next day after the earthquake, the chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee, Mr. Jamie Whitten, came to the floor of the 
House without anyone going to him or asking him. He went to the floor 
of the House and said to the people of California, Congress will honor 
our responsibility to the American people. We will put forth what meets 
the needs of the people. We need to work together to get that done. It 
was such a comfort.
  These were just words. It was such a comfort to the people just to 
hear that and to know that a chairman would act upon that. And for the 
past few weeks, I know that our colleagues from New York, New Jersey, 
Connecticut, some in Pennsylvania and other surrounding areas, have 
been assuring their constituents and the people of their areas that the 
Federal Government would be there for them. It is a social compact. It 
is the most important tie they have to us.
  Again, if you could hear their personal stories you will know they'll 
never be made whole. The rug has been pulled out from under them in 
terms of their housing, their belongings, their pictures, their 
memories, the character of their neighborhoods. The rug has been pulled 
out, and now tonight, is this Congress, this House of Representatives, 
going to pull the rug out again from them legislatively?
  Just as a reminder, the Senate of the United States, in a bipartisan 
fashion, passed a $60.4 billion assistance program for this natural 
disaster. It met the documented needs that were put forth by the people 
of the regions, by Governor Christie, by Governor Cuomo, by Governor 
Malloy, Governor Bloomberg, and so many others. So, documented need.
  Again, it's not going to make everyone whole emotionally in their 
personal belongings and their memories and the rest, but it is a sign 
of respect that we cannot let what happened stand and that the 
resources will be there to try to return them to some sense of order 
and home and home life.
  I don't know if any decision has been made. I hope not. I hope that 
as the leadership meets and considers a possible agenda for tomorrow, 
they would reconsider this because this goes deep into the hearts of 
people as they feel a sense of helplessness for something they had no 
responsibility for, a natural disaster.
  Remember last year when we visited some of the places where homes 
were uprooted? It's earth, wind, and fire. When something like that 
happens, it's the wind, it's the water, it's the fire. It's every kind 
of thing assaulting people. Let's not be a part of that assault by 
putting doubts in their mind as to whether there is an appreciation for 
what they have lost, a respect for who they are, and honoring of our 
social compact that the government will be there when people are in 
need.
  Again, I hearken back to Jamie Whitten. We never had a moment to fear 
that our needs would be met. Let's just make this night pass as if it 
never happened. Let's just replace the impression that is out there 
with the idea that tomorrow we will take up the Senate bill or take up 
the compromise that has been worked out to take this in two tranches. 
We cannot leave here doing nothing. That would be a disgrace.

                          ____________________