[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5118-5119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  REMEMBRANCE OF THE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT FLOODING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, in Houston, Harris County, and 
surrounding counties last week, eight of our fellow citizens lost their 
lives.
  I want to offer our thoughts and prayers on behalf of the families of 
German Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, Sunita Vikas, Malhara Singh, 
Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles Edward Odum, Suresh Kumar Talluri, and 
Teri White Rodriguez. They are all loving members of families, who now 
have lost their lives, and the families are saddened by their loss.
  In the course of this, I want to thank the first responders for their 
courageous efforts in, one, seeking to find these individuals, and also 
helping those who have been impacted by the flooding.
  The efforts of Houstonians who came to the aid of neighbors and 
strangers during the flooding saved more lives and provided comfort to 
those impacted.
  We offer a special thanks to the diverse religious communities that 
responded with generosity, by feeding and helping thousands of 
households left homeless.
  We are also very grateful for the presence and laudable work of the 
American Red Cross and, as well, the City of Houston and Harris County, 
the mayor and county judge, all who were participating in this effort 
along with other elected officials.
  When tragedy strikes, we come together, congressional persons, State 
persons, local elected officials, because we are Texans.
  It was very sad to lose this many people in a storm that was 
unexpected.
  In Ecclesiastes Chapter 3: ``To every thing there is a season, and a 
time to every purpose under the heaven . . . a time to weep, and a time 
to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.''
  I would ask, as we begin to try and rebuild our lives, that we have a 
moment of silence; if my colleagues would stand in a moment of silence 
for those names that I have called: German Antonio Franco, Claudia 
Melgar, Sunita Vikas, Malhara Singh, Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles 
Edward Odum, Suresh Kumar Talluri, and Teri White Rodriguez.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of my colleagues in the Texas 
Congressional Delegation in remembrance of those who lost their lives 
during the flooding tragedy that occurred in the city of Houston and 
the surrounding area.
  Our thoughts and prayers are offered on behalf of and for the 
families of:
  1. German Antonio Franco
  2. Claudia Melgar
  3. Sunita Vikas
  4. Malhara Singh
  5. Pedro Rascon Morales
  6. Charles Edward Odum
  7. Suresh Kumar Talluri
  8. Teri White Rodriguez
  I thank all of the first responders for their courageous and 
effective efforts to bring assistance and support to those impacted by 
the flooding last week.
  The efforts of Houstonians who came to the aid of neighbors and 
strangers during the flooding saved lives and provided comfort to those 
impacted.
  We offer a special thanks to the diverse religious community of 
Houston who responded

[[Page 5119]]

with generosity and compassion to over 1000 households left homeless by 
the flooding.
  We are also very grateful for the presence and laudable work of the 
American Red Cross whose volunteers some of which were also victims of 
the flooding immediately began to offer aid and assistance to flood 
victims.
  As elected officials we share a common bond with our constituents 
that motivate our work on their behalf each day.
  When tragedy strikes we in the Texas Delegation cease to see the 
victims as being from a city, town or rural community but as Texans who 
are in trouble or in need of help.
  Ecclesiastics Chapter 3:

       To everything there is a season, and a time to every 
     purpose under the heaven . . .
       A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a 
     time to dance.

  This past week has been a time of weeping for far too many 
Houstonians and those impacted in the State of Texas by flooding, which 
caused more than $5 billion in damage and loss of life.
  Today the House stands as one to express our condolences to those 
impacted by the flooding and to show our commitment that we will do all 
that we can to ease the suffering of those affected and work to 
minimize the damage caused by flooding in our State of Texas and every 
other state.
  I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of those who 
perished in the Houston floods.

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