[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8522]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      PREPARE FOR EXTREME WEATHER

  (Mr. CARTWRIGHT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, for the first time ever, the threats 
posed by extreme weather were added to the GAO's High Risk List, which 
lists the most pressing fiscal exposures our Federal Government faces. 
In the past 2 years alone, extreme weather events resulted in 109 
Presidential major disaster declarations, 409 fatalities, and $130 
billion in economic losses to our Nation.
  As somebody who firmly believes we must better prepare for extreme 
weather, protect government and private sector resources, and create a 
more resilient society, I have drafted legislation that utilizes these 
recommendations of the GAO. The PREPARE Act requires agencies to 
implement government-wide resiliency, preparedness, and risk management 
priorities; improves regional coordination; and disseminates best 
practices and actionable data. And possibly even more important is the 
cost of this legislation: $0, while having the possibility of saving 
taxpayers billions.

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