    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [September 22, 1993]
    [Page 1565]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Cost-Share Adjustment for Midwest Flood Recovery
    September 22, 1993

        I have been in the Midwest four times since early summer when the
    floods first began to exact their steep toll on the lives and
    livelihoods of thousands of hardworking Americans. I've seen firsthand
    the magnitude of the damage, the submerged towns, and the drowned
    fields, shops, and farms--some temporarily out of business, some
    permanently destroyed.
        I promised that when the Midwest asked the Federal Government for
    help, the Federal Government would answer swiftly and strongly. And I'm
    very proud of the speed and efficiency with which our Government, led by
    FEMA, has met this challenge.
        But the job is far from done. The extraordinary duration and force
    of the floods caused an unprecedented degree of damage to the economies
    in the Midwest, damage that will take dozens of months and billions of
    dollars to repair. And as I pledged, the Federal Government will not
    leave the people of the Midwest to handle this alone.
        That's why earlier I announced that in States where the cost of
    flood damage was at least $64 a person, the Federal Government would
    adjust the requirement that States assume 25 percent of the cost of
    FEMA-provided relief. Instead, the National Government would pay fully
    90 percent of those costs.
        However, as the damage toll continues to mount, it's becoming
    increasingly clear to me that we must not view flood relief as local
    assistance only. The scope of this disaster is so great that it has the
    potential to have a dampening effect on our entire national economy, and
    we must respond accordingly.
        Therefore, today I have established a second standard that will be
    used to address those disasters with wider economic impact. In multiple
    State disasters with significant impact on the national economy, the
    alternative threshold has been established at .1 percent of the gross
    domestic product. That means I have approved the reimbursement of
    eligible public FEMA assistance disaster costs for the nine Midwest
    States affected by this summer's catastrophic flooding at a 90 percent
    Federal/10 percent non-Federal cost-share basis.
        As the families of the Midwest struggle to restore order to their
    lives and rebuild their communities, I want them to know that this
    administration plans to be with them every step of the way. And I'm
    determined that our commitment remains as clear in our actions as it is
    in our words and our prayers.