[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, in the past week, we have seen yet another 
devastating storm claim the lives and communities of thousands of 
people in the Philippines as well as a string of tornadoes that cut 
through 12 States, from New York to Tennessee. These powerful storms 
last for a matter of days, while recovery from their destruction takes 
years.
  Hurricane Irene began as a tropical storm on August 20, 2011. By the 
time it completed its path on August 29, it had wreaked havoc from 
Puerto Rico to New England, becoming the seventh most costly hurricane 
in our Nation's history, while taking 56 lives. The storm lasted a mere 
10 days, no more than 36 hours in any one spot; but in my district and 
other affected areas, people are still recovering more than 2 years 
later. Infrastructure still needs to be repaired or replaced or 
improved upon. Businesses have not fully recovered, and many families 
are still struggling to rebuild their homes and their lives.
  The costs continue to mount. We have denied our responsibility to 
deal with climate change for far too long. The time to act is now.

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