[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16367]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  (Mr. PERLMUTTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Sustainable 
Energy and Environmental Coalition, I rise today to recognize the 1-
year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy and remember those who tragically 
lost their lives as well as those continuing to rebuild from the 
destruction.
  My constituents in Colorado understand the pain that comes with 
extreme weather events, having recently suffered from devastating and 
historic flooding and fires. The flooding killed nine people, damaged 
or destroyed almost 18,000 homes and businesses across the State, 
damage to our roads and bridges is estimated to be $450 million, and 
our cities and counties saw over $170 million in infrastructure damage.
  Yet floods were not the only severe weather events in Colorado this 
year. Numerous wildfires and droughts damaged and destroyed property 
and crops and took lives.
  I applaud the President for putting forth his climate action plan in 
an effort to implement meaningful policies that are slowing the effects 
of climate change. Congress should take further action to minimize the 
impacts of these natural disasters and to better understand our weather 
patterns.
  We will and we must work together to rebuild stronger and smarter to 
better prepare for future natural disasters that are becoming all too 
common because of the real impacts of climate change.

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