Death Penalty Reform Act of 2007

I thank the gentlelady.

Mr. Speaker, between December 1 and December 3, the States of Oregon and Washington were battered by an exceptionally severe storm. One wind measurement instrument clocked at 129 miles an hour before it blew over, and I am told by a helicopter pilot that the U.S. Coast Guard measured winds up to 150 miles an hour. This is the first time that the National Weather Service used the term ``hurricane'' in connection with a storm outside of the tropics or subtropics, certainly as far north as latitude 45 where we are. We set an unfortunate record.

We have frequent storms in the Pacific Northwest, but what set this one apart is that while the typical winter storm may bring winds of 70 or 100 miles an hour for a few hours to coastal Oregon, this storm brought sustained winds of 85 to 100 miles per hour for 24 hours and gusts up to 130, 150 miles an hour. Entire swaths of trees were uprooted or snapped off. Homes were flooded. Twelve to 14 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period in some parts of the coast range, and both Interstate 5 and the main Amtrak line on the west coast were closed for a period of time.

The folks who live in the coast range and on the coast were especially hard hit. But we are a hardy people who live in this paradise, and people took care of themselves. They immediately reached out to their neighbors. They helped each other, pulled together as a community, and we got through this together.

Unfortunately, several people perished, many people were injured. And many people went without heat or electricity or telephone service, were cut off from the world and were cut off by landslides on the roads, also, in addition to the loss of communication. But people got through this together in the great tradition of America and the great tradition of the Northwest and of Oregon.

I would like to especially commend the local and State first responders, the Oregon National Guard, the United States Coast Guard, the Oregon Red Cross, and the good works of the State of Oregon in facing this very, very severe storm. Even during the torrential rain and the winds, the good citizens of Oregon and Washington came to one another's assistance. There are people who told me that they knew that someone was trapped in a home, and they went in to get them even though there were shingles and pieces of glass flying through the air hard enough to stick into the side of homes. And one person went into a home where a piece of sheet metal was flapping in the wind, knowing that if that sheet metal came off that it would become a dangerous projectile, but he went in to get the resident out.

City Councilor Mark Kujala of Warrenton stayed by the phones for 24 hours to take calls and answer calls so that people would not feel isolated and cut off, so that they could get some information. KMUN in Astoria, Oregon, because there was a severe storm a year ago, prepared for this by putting up a propane tank. And even though a tree fell on its roof and damaged the structure severely, KMUN stayed on the air all through the storm and gave the people of the north Oregon coast a sense of connection to what was happening in the outside world. And I want to commend the amateur radio operators, the folks who kept parts of the

local telephone system operating, and others, for keeping our communities together through the darkness, the cold, and the isolation when most of the phone lines went down.

The immediate efforts of first responders as well as local and State officials are to be applauded. And I want to express a special thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard lost all of their communication. They lost their Internet. They lost their telephones. They lost their cell phones. They were down to VHF radio, 1950s technology, to communicate with other first responders and themselves, and yet, they went out and picked people off the roofs, went into homes. One of the rescuers went into a home that was flooded up to chest level and the lights were still on in the room where this disabled individual was located, and yet this rescue swimmer went in there with the electricity on and got the person out and into a rescue helicopter.

The National Guard performed heroic efforts. Camp Rilea became a safety shelter, kind of a dry safe harbor for the people of the north coast. They distributed generator fuel to so many people who were trying to run their own generators when the power went down, and at one point they were down to their last 30, 60, 90 minutes of fuel. But then they got resupplied and were able to help continue to keep other folks' generators working. And the radio station in Seaside had their antenna blown down, but they got right back up the next day when it was safe to get the antenna back up and get a generator going and kept folks informed.

I have tried to work closely with Governor Kulongoski, and he has been terrific through this entire episode. It was a Sunday-Monday storm, and I couldn't get a phone call through to folk in the area until Wednesday night, but Governor Kulongoski toured the area Tuesday afternoon and was on the phone with me Tuesday afternoon to tell me some of the things that were needed. The Governor and I work hard to make sure that both the State and the Federal components of recovery and prevention for the future, that we do our jobs, that we have not too much government but all the government that we need to keep Americans safe, to enable us to pull together in times of crisis and need.

Life is uncertain in the paradise that we call the Pacific Northwest. It has sometimes been referred to as the land of fire and ice. We have regular storms, periodic fires, and rare huge earthquakes and tsunami. To paraphrase an author of the region: We are always searching for hardy people to match this challenging land. And I think that we do have those people.

Life in the paradise we call home may be uncertain, but we know that we are a match for it and we shall meet the challenges together. A long road of recovery lies ahead, but like the pioneers of old, we will bring everyone to the finish line together. No one will be left behind. No one will be forgotten. I want to salute the citizens of the Pacific Northwest, the first responders, and everyone else who came from the region to help out in our time of need. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, on December 2 and 3, a severe winter storm swept across Oregon and Washington State. Countless first responders came to the aid of those in need and worked tirelessly to restore order in the aftermath of the storm. I strongly support H. Res. 851 in recognition of the dedication, service, and courage shown by these men and women.

The winter storm affected dozens of communities and many thousands of people in Washington and Oregon, including my constituents in the Nineth District of Washington. It struck the Pacific Northwest with a ferocity that is rarely seen in the region. The storm brought winds that exceeded 100 miles per hour, saturated the region with 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, and led to the loss of human lives. Homes and businesses were flooded, roads and thoroughfares were damaged or swept away, and thousands of citizens were left without electricity, heat, water, transportation, or adequate shelter.

Throughout and following the storm, the men and women of local and state police agencies, fire and rescue groups, local and state emergency first-response organizations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Oregon and Washington National Guard were ready to respond to the extraordinary circumstances. They rescued those trapped by the rising waters, provided aid to those in need of critical assistance, and helped to limit the ill effects of this tragic weather event.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I want to call particular attention to the service of the Washington National Guard. Some 400 Washington National Guard Members, 70 vehicles, and 11 teams supported response and recovery operations, conducted house-to-house searches, and provided needed food, water, and other emergency provisions. In cooperation with many other local, State, and Federal first responders, the men and women of the Washington State National Guard performed their duty admirably, and I am very grateful to them.

Please join me in honoring the Washington State National Guard and recognizing the many other first responders for their contributions during the winter storm of early December. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 851.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 851) honoring local and State first responders, and the citizens of the Pacific Northwest in facing the severe winter storm of December 2 and 3, 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 851, honoring local and State first responders and the citizens of the Pacific Northwest in facing the severe winter storm of December 2 and 3, 2007. H. Res. 851 was introduced by Representative David Wu on December 6, 2007. This measure, which has been cosponsored by 83 Members, has the support of the entire Oregon congressional delegation.

On December 2 and 3, 2007, a severe storm hit the Pacific Northwest, destroying homes, schools, businesses and roads, thus leaving thousands of people in Oregon and Washington without power, water, or road access. The Oregon and Washington National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued hundreds of individuals trapped in or on their homes. Oregonians and Washingtonians became extraordinary citizens by opening their hearts and their homes.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending the first responders and citizens who helped in time of need. I urge the swift passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and great feeling of sympathy and of great respect for those who have suffered so courageously through this storm that I yield to Mr. David Wu.

I want to say to my good friend from Oregon that his resolution not only informs us about the heroic efforts of first responders and the residents, but educates us about places where catastrophic storms may occur unexpectedly. It sounds as though the States of Oregon and Washington had a short-term version of Katrina and managed somehow to deal with it themselves. So we commend first responders and citizens of both States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in bipartisan support of this resolution with my colleague from the District of Columbia in honoring the first responders and citizens who were lost and who dealt with this extreme storm in such a valiant way.

All of us know the beauty of Mount St. Helens. All of us know the beauty of the region, but few of us outside the region can understand the strength of the storm that flooded whole communities, battered trees, roadways, and destroyed power for entire communities and left at least eight dead. In the aftermath, as the waters recede, we in Congress join with the people of Oregon and Washington in banding together to rebuild their community and their tattered region. But more importantly, we thank the first responders who, as appropriately people sought cover and safety, went out to deal with the effects of this storm at risk of life and limb.

I yield back the balance of my time and urge support for this important resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.