[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16542-16543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              FEMA DENIALS

  (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, I have often said that, even though the 
sun is shining after hurricanes and storms, the people are still 
hurting. Houston is resilient--and I might just say, ``Go Astros''--but 
I think it is important to talk about those who are impacted by 
Hurricane Harvey.
  I rise to help FEMA, because there is a large percentage of denials 
in my district. I believe that there should be a large promotion, if 
you will, informational provision to indicate to people

[[Page 16543]]

the process for appealing FEMA denials.
  FEMA, itself, admits that many times the denials are based upon 
technical issues, that they should go to disaster recovery centers; but 
no one knows that if there is not a massive effort of information, 
number one.
  Number two, there are still in the thousands of homes in and around 
my district and in Texas that are waiting for FEMA inspectors.
  I have offered suggestions. Those suggestions should be taken up: 
college students, using resources of finding temporary employees, 
people who are already working but may have the skills to spend some 
hours as a FEMA inspector.
  In my phone are so many pictures of homes with garbage outside, 
people's belongings. It is now garbage. It is their belongings. It is 
their life out on the front steps of their home. They are waiting for 
an inspector. The New York Times article says they are waiting for an 
inspector.
  FEMA, let's work together. People are hurting. That should be part of 
our recovery and our appropriation coming up

                          ____________________