Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009

Madam Speaker, as my service in Congress and my term as Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure come to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the professional staff of the Committee. These are the dedicated individuals who do the research, the analysis, the drafting, the corrections, the negotiations, and the leg work needed to bring legislation to the Floor of this House and get it enacted into law.

I honor them all for their diligence, tenacity, intelligence, insightfulness, loyalty, and friendship.

David Heymsfeld has served the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for 35 years, as Democratic Staff Director of our Subcommittee on Aviation from 1975 to 1995, and as Democratic Staff Director of the full Committee from 1996 to 2010. He has been the lead staff on legislative and oversight issues in aviation, and, since 1995, has directed all staff activities of the Full Committee.

His responsibilities have required him to master the policy issues involved, to understand the positions of all interested parties and of government officials, to negotiate solutions, which achieve the Committee's policy objectives, to draft legislation, and to plan strategies for passing legislation. He has carried those responsibilities for major aviation legislation, and, since 1995, he has also played a major role in legislation affecting the Federal programs for highway and transit, rail, Coast Guard, water resources, and public buildings.

Our Director of Communications, Jim Berard, has been the voice of the Democratic side of the Committee for 13 years, and served in my personal office and that of Sen. Kent Conrad for a decade prior. An award-winning journalist before coming to Capitol Hill, Jim has proven himself to be a master communicator, adept at interpreting complex legislative issues for lay audiences.

Jim has been at the center of nearly every major transportation issue I have faced in the past 23 years, handling inquiries from the media, getting them answers, shaping our message, and delivering that message to the public.

Jim is also an accomplished writer, a published author, an historian, and a humanitarian who spends his free time helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity in Maryland, and the St. Bernard Project in Louisiana.

He has been a trusted Member of my personal and Committee staff, and I am grateful to him for his service.

Mary Kerr's extensive communications and public policy experience, along with her legal education, have made her an invaluable member of my team for the past fifteen years. When I became Chairman in 2007, Mary moved from my personal office, where she had served as Communications Director and Legislative Assistant for eleven years, to become Press Secretary for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. For the past four years, she has served very effectively as the principal spokesperson for four subcommittees: Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; and Water Resources and Environment.

As T&I Committee Press Secretary, Mary has executed all phases of a comprehensive public affairs program to drive the Committee's visibility in the national news and trade media. She has led the way to successfully promote the Committee's priorities, such as protecting the Nation's waters, holding the railroad industry to the highest level of safety, and making comprehensive reforms to prevent future offshore drilling accidents.

Julie Carpenter Lotz has been a part of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff for four years, working as a Communications Assistant in the Committee's Communications Office.

Julie has been a welcome asset to the Committee and to me. In addition to her professional knowledge and abilities, she has been a great resource for me in personally providing unique information on Committee-related issues that aren't ordinarily noticed. I have found this to be a valuable service.

Julie is intelligent, hard-working and extremely competent. Her communication skills,

both written and verbal, as well as her editing abilities, are excellent.

Also, she has been eager to learn new procedures and to expand her knowledge whenever possible.

Julie has an excellent rapport with both staff members and public figures, and is respected by her colleagues for her considerate nature and helpful attitude.

Trinita Evon Brown has over twenty years of experience working for the House and has been with the Committee for seventeen years. She has served the Committee very effectively as Senior Counsel for Oversight and Investigation.

Ms. Brown is responsible for the Committee's oversight and investigations of all six Subcommittee jurisdictions. She has a proven record of accomplishment of high quality work, dedication, and public service. Her efforts have led to millions in recouped Federal tax dollars and the cession of numerous policies and practices harmful to our nation's interests.

Trinita has served the Committee in a variety of positions, including: Counsel for Emergency Management and Counsel for Railroads. In addition, she performed superbly with Full Committee responsibilities including highways, budget and appropriations and Committee jurisdiction.

Her keen judgment and integrity have been an asset to the Committee.

Ken Kopocis has served the Committee as senior counsel conducting oversight. Ken began with the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment in 1985 and served as staff director of that Subcommittee for 13 years. Ken possesses the skills to anticipate, understand and exceed the needs of Members of Congress. He has unparalleled knowledge and experience related to protecting and improving water quality and water resources. His areas of experience include matters relating to water resources development, conservation and management; water pollution control and water infrastructure; hazardous waste cleanup; transportation; and, emergency and disaster response.

Ken has been part of every Water Resources Development Act for a generation. He has worked tirelessly to advance water quality and public health, including initiatives such as the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, the response to the events of September 11, 2001, efforts to protect the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and the Everglades, the Superfund program, and invasive species legislation.

Joseph Wender has worked as a Counsel for Oversight and Investigations for nearly two years. He joined the Committee in February 2009, the same month in which Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Joe's primary responsibilities have included coordinating the Committee's vigorous oversight of that legislation. Joe served as the lead staffer on nearly a dozen Recovery Act oversight hearings and also worked prodigiously to publish a monthly Committee Recovery Act report.

Joe always ensured that Committee Members had the most accurate and up-to-date information on Recovery Act implementation. In fact, I carry a `pocket guide,' which Joe produced, which details the use of Recovery Act funds, including projects out to bid, under contract, and underway. I have used that pocket guide daily, and am grateful to Joe for providing such useful irrefutable information. I am proud of the standard he set in carrying out our oversight of the stimulus legislation.

During his service as counsel to the Aviation Subcommittee since February of this year, Alex Burkett has demonstrated insight and abilities as a judicious advocate, writer, and critical thinker. A pilot and lawyer with jet fuel in the veins, Alex has provided thoughtful advice steeped in deep substantive knowledge of aviation and the law. He is a tireless advocate on issues of particular significance to me, including airline competition and aviation safety.

This year Alex took the lead role in planning the Subcommittee's hearing on the United-Continental merger. In the midst of intense conference negotiations on milestone aviation legislation, Alex researched the issues presented by the merger and planned the hearing. His briefing memorandum to Members summarizing the many important issues raised by the merger was insightful and extremely well-written, as is everything he writes, and reflected his steady judgment, natural curiosity, and reliable expertise.

Michael Rodriguez joined the staff of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation as Senior Professional Staff in October 2009. As a 1979 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, a Navy reserve officer and veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, and an experienced merchant mariner, Mike has brought a unique and valuable perspective to the Subcommittee.

Mike was an important contributor to the process that led to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 becoming law on October 15, 2010. During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and response, Mike helped draft legislation to address several issues related to the operation of the rig. He was able to bring his experience as a mariner to discussions about the accident with some of the Deepwater Horizon survivors. Mike's reputation throughout the U.S. maritime industry and his knowledge of international maritime affairs have made him a much appreciated asset to the Subcommittee.

Also, I would be remiss not to recognize the dedication of our Coast Guard Fellow, Lieutenant Commander Zeita Merchant. With over 13 years of Coast Guard service, she became an asset to my Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, and worked diligently on a wide range of maritime issues making significant contributions to oversight hearings and legislation.

During her short time on the staff, Lieutenant Commander Merchant made noteworthy contributions on major legislation with her expertise in marine inspections and environmental response. Her knowledge and experience were critical in drafting legislation in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the passing of the first Coast Guard Authorization legislation to become law since 2006. These efforts resulted in significant increases in the Coast Guard's Marine Safety ranks; significant strides in enhancing the Coast Guard's ability to manage complex major acquisitions; and a keen focus on enhancing the diversity and Equal Employment Opportunities with the Coast Guard.

For the last four years Michael Herman has served as the Senior Counsel for the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, with a particular focus on emergency management issues.

During this time, Mike has demonstrated an unmatched understanding of the laws, programs and history of emergency management. Mike's mastery of emergency management is reflected in H.R. 3377, the Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Act of 2009.

When disasters strike, Members of the Committee and the House as a whole, including the Speaker, rely on his knowledge, counsel, and experience. After tornadoes devastated Wadena County in my district this summer, Mike's unique knowledge and experience supported my work with the affected communities. He also worked directly with local officials helping them navigate the recovery process and understand the assistance available to them.

For the past four years, Jim Kolb served as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. Jim's insight and guidance has been invaluable to all Committee Members and staff on a surface transportation issues.

During his service with the Committee, Jim played a key role in the development of legislation to strengthen and improve the nation's intermodal surface transportation network. Jim managed and led the development of the Committee's comprehensive six-year authorization to transform the Federal highway, highway safety, and transit programs, as well as the Committee's response to the I-35W Bridge collapse and efforts to improve the safety and condition of the nation's highway bridges.

Throughout his service, Jim has been a hard-working, and dedicated public servant, whose advice and counsel I have valued.

Amy Scarton, Counsel to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, first joined the Committee staff as a legal intern after graduating from Duke University School of Law nearly a decade ago. Though she left us to work for Congressman Earl Blumenauer during the 108th Congress, and then to serve as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Frank Mulvey at the Surface Transportation Board; Amy returned to the Committee in early 2007.

In her role as the lead transit attorney for the Committee, Amy has been instrumental in developing major aspects of my surface transportation reauthorization bill, as well as several other energy and transit bills. Amy's dedication to progressive transportation policies is not only evident in her hard work; she and her husband bike daily to Capitol Hill from their home in Northwest D.C. I will greatly miss Amy's enthusiasm, loyalty, and expertise, and I thank her for her service.

In his two years as Director of Highway Policy for the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Todd Kohr has proven himself to be an extremely capable, dedicated, and effective member of the Subcommittee's staff.

Todd joined the staff of the Subcommittee at a pivotal moment for the U.S. transportation system: during the development of my six-year bill to authorize and fundamentally transform the Federal highway and transit programs. Within this process, he drafted the majority of the bill's $337 billion highway title--displaying an ability to advance my priorities amidst a landscape of transportation policy issues, procedural considerations, competing interest group dynamics, and the complexities of Federal highway law.

In addition to his work on the authorization bill, Todd has acted as the Subcommittee staff

lead on a broad portfolio of highway-related issues. His expertise, his attention to detail, his discretion, and his counsel have served me and the Subcommittee well.

Jackie Schmitz, Professional Staff with the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, has served on my Committee staff for five and a half years. Her dedication to public service and commitment to sound transportation policy have made her an asset to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Jackie's work has focused on promoting bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, improving highway safety, and advancing transportation research and technology. She has assisted the Members of this body in addressing the needs of their communities and has made significant contributions to the Committee's improved standards of ethics and transparency.

I am particularly proud of the work Jackie has done to advance the Safe Routes to School program, which is leaving a legacy of safety and wellness for the next generation. Her hard work is driven by her recognition that all Americans deserve transportation choices that are safe, reliable, and accessible, and I am grateful for her service to the Committee.

Peter Gould, Legislative Assistant for the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, has served the Committee for the past four years with a high level of professionalism, dedication to serving the public, and a good-natured sense of humor.

For the past two years Peter has helped me craft the Committee's message through speeches, op-eds, and floor statements, making the case for greater investment in the nation's surface transportation infrastructure as part of the transformational Surface Transportation Authorization Act. As my colleagues and I pressed for this transformational legislation, I was always confident of Peter's messaging and political acumen on presenting this issue to the American public.

Jennifer Esposito has been a key staff member of the Committee since June 2004. As Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, Jennifer led the Committee's efforts to enact historic legislation to reauthorize Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration's rail safety program, and to develop legislation to address rail security concerns in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. She also led the Committee's efforts to enact the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, which created new grant programs for development of high-speed and intercity passenger rail in the United States.

Jennifer also has developed legislation to reauthorize the Department of Transportation's pipeline and hazardous materials safety programs, and conducted extensive oversight investigations of the programs which led to major changes within the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Most recently, she conducted an oversight investigation of an Enbridge pipeline rupture in Marshall, Michigan, which unveiled major safety deficiencies.

Rachel Carr has been a staff member on the Committee on Transportation twice over the past ten years. She first served as Staff Assistant for the Subcommittees on Aviation and Railroads from March 2000 to May 2002, while earning her law degree at night. After graduating with honors from the American University Washington College of Law, Ms. Carr continued her legal career in transportation, then rejoined the Committee in March, 2009, as Counsel on the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

In her current role, Ms. Carr has been involved with drafting legislation to reauthorize the Department of Transportation's hazardous materials safety program and has been an integral part in oversight of the DOT's implementation of the high-speed and intercity passenger rail and pipeline safety programs

Joseph E. Connelly is another member of my staff serving with the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Though Joe has been with the staff a very short time, having served a little less than two years as Professional Staff and a Fellow from the Federal Railroad Administration, he has helped instill a culture of safety into all of the federal agencies and entities under the jurisdiction of the Committee.

Joe has contributed to the Committee by painstakingly conducting concise, thorough investigations, analyzing complex data and reducing that data into easily definable terms. The results of these investigations helped transform the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration into a science-based, data-driven Agency. For over 30 years, Joe Connelly has proudly served the American people as a member of the legislative and executive branch. He has made safety his life's work and has contributed immeasurably to the safe transportation of hazardous materials throughout the United States.

I would like to recognize Ryan C. Seiger for his 12 years of service to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, the last 4 of which he served as Staff Director and Senior Counsel. Ryan has been a thoughtful and dedicated advocate for improving the overall environmental health of the nation for future generations and for taking the steps necessary to achieve the Clean Water Act's goals of ``fishable and swimmable'' waters. He has a deep understanding of the challenges that remain in protecting the Nation's waters, and has served this country well in exploring innovative ways to overcome these challenges.

I also want to express my gratitude for his encyclopedic knowledge of water resource law, which served us so well in his role as lead House negotiator on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. Thanks to his work and the work of the rest of the Subcommittee staff, Congress was able to achieve what was only the 107th successful override of a Presidential veto in the history of the nation.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to thank Navis Bermudez for her service as Professional Staff to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Despite the fact that she has only been with the Subcommittee for the past year, her service to the Committee and to the Congress has been exemplary. During this year, Navis helped the Committee develop and move legislation (H.R. 3534) to address many of the legal shortcomings of the Oil Pollution Act and the Clean Water Act that were exposed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. Navis has also been integral in Congressional efforts to reauthorize and strengthen several of the Environmental Protection Agency's targeted watershed programs, including House passage of legislation to reauthorize the National Estuaries Program (H.R. 4715), and efforts to reauthorize EPA's Long Island Sound and Chesapeake Bay program offices.

Navis has proven to be a strong advocate for protecting the nation's water-related environment, and has performed her job with professionalism and competence.

Madam Speaker, the people I have mentioned here are part of the Committee's professional staff. There are many others who perform administrative duties that are equally important to the work done by the Committee. I intend to recognize their contribution in a subsequent statement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3377, the ``Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009''. This bill makes amendments to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) to improve the assistance that the Federal Government provides to States, local governments, and communities after major disasters and emergencies. I thank Full Committee Ranking Member Mica, as well as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, for joining me in sponsoring this bill.

H.R. 3377 is a consolidation of many issues brought to the attention of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the last two and a half years and contains a series of proposals to enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to carry out its programs and activities related to preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation more effectively. Several provisions of this bill incorporate proposals put forth by Members on both sides of the aisle.

This bill reauthorizes core FEMA programs and activities, including the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program; codifies programs that FEMA is currently administering under the authority of the Stafford Act but which are not expressly authorized in statute, such as the National Urban Search and Rescue System and Citizen Corps; restores an essential program, the Mortgage and Rental Assistance program, which was eliminated in 2000; and amends eligibility under certain FEMA programs, including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, by creating incentives for better building codes.

Congress made changes to the Stafford Act in 2000 with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, and in 2006 with the Post-Katrina Emergency Management and Reform Act. FEMA is still working to implement the changes required in these Acts. This bill makes a number of positive changes to FEMA's authority which, together with prior reforms that FEMA is still implementing, will enable it to become a more effective agency.

H.R. 3377 is a continuation of the Committee's work to address ongoing emergency management and disaster relief needs. In the 110th Congress, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ordered reported a similar bill, H.R. 6658. We are reintroducing this bill, which is an updated version of H.R. 6658, with the intent to move it through Committee and the House as expeditiously as possible.

Specifically, H.R. 3377 reauthorizes the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (``PDM'') program, a program to provide cost-effective technical and financial assistance to State and local governments to reduce injuries, loss of life, and damage to property through fiscal year 2012 at a level of $250 million per year. While a one-year extension was included in the Department of Homeland Security

Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Act to keep this vital program alive, Congress must act. If we do not, this worthy program will sunset on September 30, 2009. The bill also reauthorizes the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which expired at the end of fiscal year 2008, to provide form and structure to interstate mutual aid and allows a State impacted by a disaster to request and receive assistance from other states quickly and efficiently.

The bill also specifically authorizes two existing FEMA programs that are not expressly authorized in statute but rely on broader language in the Stafford Act. The National Urban Search and Rescue System (US&R), is a robust system of 28 teams composed of state and local emergency responders who work together to respond to both local incidents and major disasters and emergencies, and codifies workers' compensation and other protections for US&R teams currently provided administratively by FEMA. The bill also specifically authorizes FEMA's existing citizen preparedness program, known as ``Citizen Corps'', to help coordinate volunteer activities to better prepare communities to respond to a disaster or emergency, as well as the Citizen Emergency Response Team Program.

The legislation directs the President to modernize the integrated public alerts and warning system to help ensure that our Nation's warning systems are prepared for all hazards, which is currently authorized by the Stafford Act. It also amends section 404 of the Stafford Act by providing for additional assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for States that actively enforce an approved building code throughout the State.

H.R. 3377 also authorizes the Disaster Relief Fund and Disaster Support Account, which provide funding for FEMA's Federal Disaster Programs authorized by titles IV and V of the Stafford Act. Since its inception, how the Disaster Relief Fund is set up and administered and what it can be used for has been determined by appropriations; this provision remedies this deficiency and gives the authorizing statute and the authorizing committee in the House and Senate an appropriate role.

The bill also takes small steps to address two very pressing issues that face our nation: health care and housing. This legislation makes temporary employees hired by FEMA in response to a disaster eligible to enroll in the Federal Health Benefits Program. Most of the employees that FEMA sends to disasters--many of whom have been employed by FEMA for years--do not have access to employer sponsored health insurance. This legislation would also restore the Mortgage and Rental Assistance program, which was eliminated in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-390). The program provides assistance for up to 18 months in the form of mortgage or rental payments to or on behalf of individuals and families who, as a result of financial hardship caused by a major disaster, are at imminent risk of dispossession or eviction. This will protect communities and citizens who have been impacted by disaster from taking an additional hit by exacerbating the current housing crisis in those communities.

H.R. 3377 further provides new authority to allow FEMA to sell excess materials, supplies, and equipment to States, local governments, and relief or disaster assistance organizations to assist victims of smaller-scale natural disasters and other incidents that do not result in the declaration of a major disaster or emergency. This bill also authorizes FEMA to include household pet and service animal rescue, care, and sheltering to activities during emergency declarations under Title V of Stafford Act. Currently, such activities are only authorized under a Major Disaster Declaration under Title IV of the Stafford Act.

Finally, this legislation addresses an important issue from the aftermath of the response

to Hurricane Katrina by requiring FEMA to assess the number of temporary housing units necessary for the agency to effectively respond to future disasters and emergencies. FEMA must, within six months, develop a plan to store any units needed for future disasters and to dispose of, through sale, transfer, donation, or other means, those units the agency does not need to keep in stock. This legislation provides FEMA the flexibility to provide temporary housing units in its current inventory to victims of disasters that do not rise to the level of a Presidential disaster declaration, if the Governor of the State certifies that there is an urgent need for the housing and meets other requirements.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3377, the ``Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009''.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5266) to extend the final report deadline and otherwise reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5266.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 5266 and ask for the support of the House. It is a bill to reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters, sponsored by my colleague from Florida, Representative Corrine Brown.

The National Commission on Children and Disasters was created as a result of the indelible lessons of Hurricane Katrina and as a result of the effects that disaster had on children. The commission was authorized by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the Kids in Disasters Well Being Act of 2007, which was also sponsored by Chairwoman Brown.

The commission's work has been well received, and many of its recommendations have been implemented, especially those related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I was pleased to chair a hearing of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management that received testimony from Mark Shriver, the chair of the commission, on its interim report when it was issued last October.

The commission just issued a progress report on May 11, and I recently had a talk with Chairman Shriver about that report. While FEMA has made good progress on many of the recommendations, other agencies have not; and, therefore, the commission's work remains incomplete. The subcommittee will continue to work with the commission on the implementation of its recommendations.

H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Act of 2010, reauthorizes the commission by extending the deadline for its final report until December 31, 2012, and requires annual interim reports from the commission. The commission will sunset 180 days after the date of its final report.

H.R. 5266 authorizes appropriations of $1.5 million in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 and $1 million in fiscal year 2013, the final year of the commission. The bill also rectifies a problem the commission experienced at the outset when it took nearly 5 months for all of the members of the commission to be appointed. The bill requires vacancies to be filled in 90 days, which should help minimize any delays in the commission's work in the event of a vacancy.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Madam Speaker, I want to join the chairwoman, Ms. Corrine Brown, not only in asking the House to pass this bill, but to commend her.

The chairwoman discovered this issue and acted on it. She discovered it in Florida, when there were refugees, as it were, from Katrina. She was moved by it. She decided to do, in fact, work on the ground in Florida for these children and others who were caught in Katrina, and she followed up with legislation, and never let up until this very day. And I know she won't let up until the other body sees fit also to pass the bill.

So I want to commend her for her discovery of a vital issue that my own committee, which has jurisdiction over FEMA, had not noted with nearly as much attention as the gentlelady from Florida.

I want also to note the work of Mark Schreiber, whose work on the commission went far beyond his chairmanship. He took this cause unto his own, pressed it with all that he had, and deserves great credit for making sure that we got to the day when we would pass the bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5266, the ``National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010'', which extends the authorization for the Commission on Children and Disasters for an additional two years. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) for introducing this bill and the attention she has brought to the issue of the needs of children in disasters.

In 2007, Congress enacted the Kids in Disasters Well-being, Safety, and Health Act of 2007 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161). This legislation established a 10-member Commission to examine the needs of children in response to and recovery from disasters and emergencies. The bill required the Commission to submit a final report to Congress with its findings two years after the date of the first meeting of the Commission, and sunset the authorization for the Commission 180 days after the submission of the final report.

Under current law, the report of the Commission is due in October 2010. H.R. 5266 extends the date for the final report to December 31, 2012, and requires annual interim reports from the Commission in the intervening years.

The Commission was created as a result of lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, a disaster that affected thousands of children. As the Commission's May 2010 Progress Report reminds us, more recent disasters--such as last year's tsunami in American Samoa, this year's devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the recent H1N1 outbreak-- disproportionately affected children compared to adults. However, serious impacts on children can occur in a disaster of any magnitude. Last month, tornadoes spread across my home state of Minnesota. The hardest hit area was Wadena, in my district, where preliminary damage assessments indicated that the community bore 90 percent of the damage to infrastructure and emergency response costs.

Shortly after the storm, I was in Wadena and saw the damage first- hand. One of the worst hit facilities was the Wadena Deer Creek High School, which was damaged beyond repair. Following a disaster, it is essential to reopen schools as quickly as possible in order to restore a sense of normalcy and stability for children and families. Children need to resume their education and reconnect with their friends, and with schools open, parents can get back to work. We are fortunate in Wadena that while the high school is being restored, the district will be able to use a recently closed parochial school and a local community and technical college campus.

We are also fortunate, as the Commission's May 2010 Progress Report points out, that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made good progress in implementing the recommendations of the Commission, including the appointment of a Children's Working Group that reports directly to the Administrator. Unfortunately, other Federal agencies have been slow to implement the Commission's recommendations and, as a result, the work of the Commission remains incomplete.

In October 2009, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing on the then-newly issued interim report of the Commission. Based on the testimony at this hearing and the Commission's findings, I included language in H.R. 3377, the ``Disaster Response, Recovery and Mitigation Act of 2009'', to require the Administrator of FEMA to take into account the recommendations of the Commission when drafting or updating agency plans, strategies, regulations, and policies. It is important for the Commission to be extended so it can advise Congress and the President on how FEMA is meeting this requirement.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act.

I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and subcommittee Chairwoman Norton for their hard work and assistance in bringing this bill forward.

I would also like to thank Mark Shriver, the commission chair, for his work and dedication to children.

You all have provided crucial support in the creation of the National Commission on Children and Disasters and continue to do so in advancing this important bill to allow the commission to continue its important work.

The passage of H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010, is of extreme importance to our Nation's efforts in protecting our Nation's children before, during, and following a disaster.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I authored the KIDS WiSH Act to improve Federal, State, tribal, and local disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts for children who make up nearly 25 percent of our population but whose needs are often overlooked in disasters. Children are not little adults, and their needs are unique and cannot be easily inferred from disaster plans prepared only for adults.

The commission delivered its interim report in October 2009, which identified numerous gaps and made recommendations related to disaster management and recovery, child physical and mental health, education, child care, child welfare, juvenile justice, emergency sheltering, housing, evacuation, and family reunification.

As President Obama's administration has taken shape, the commission has played a vital role in fostering communication and coordination among Federal agencies and their partners in implementing the recommendations. While there are encouraging signs that the unique needs of children are receiving greater attention, there is still a great deal of important work ahead for the commission beyond the current fiscal year.

Just recently, in fact, in its interim report issued 8 months ago, the commission released a report which tracks the progress toward the implementation of the recommendations. Although the commission found that Federal agencies have taken some initial positive steps, many crucial recommendations remain substantially unad-

dressed, leaving children needlessly vulnerable in disasters. Therefore, I wholeheartedly believe that more work is needed to be done to bring about sweeping and permanent changes in the Nation's disaster planning and management, which still heavily favor able-bodied adults.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support our Nation's children and to vote ``yes'' on this bill.