South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this bill, and I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Chairman Frelinghuysen for taking the lead on this very important legislation.

I rise in strong support of the underlying bill, with the addition of the Frelinghuysen amendment, which will help families, businesses, and communities affected by Sandy recover and rebuild.

In the 79 days that have passed since Superstorm Sandy caused such destruction, I have worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with Governors Cuomo and Christie, Chairman Rogers, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and all of our colleagues from affected States to provide long overdue assistance to our region.

Sandy devastated much of the Northeast and is one of the costliest natural disasters in our Nation's history. One hundred ten Americans lost their lives, 8.1 million homes were without power, beaches across New York and New Jersey were destroyed, and more than 650,000 homes were damaged beyond repair.

Sandy ground regional commerce to a halt by making tunnels and other transportation networks impassable. Two hundred sixty-five thousand businesses in New York alone were severely affected by Sandy, costing jobs, paychecks, and billions lost in economic output.

There is no excuse for the House not passing the Senate bill last Congress, but I am very pleased that the first order of business in the 113th Congress may be passing this emergency disaster relief package.

Along with the $9.7 billion flood insurance bill the House passed 2 weeks ago, the Rogers and Frelinghuysen amendments would provide $60 billion of the $80 billion in needs identified by our Governors. There are a number of provisions I would like to highlight: $16 billion for community development block grants to help communities and businesses rebuild; $13 billion to repair and harden transportation infrastructure; $5.35 billion to repair damages and bolster Army Corps projects to protect against costly future disasters; $11.5 billion for the FEMA disaster relief fund, which not only helps provide public assistance in the Northeast but also allows FEMA to continue helping victims of other disasters; $780 million to help businesses open their doors through SBA loans; and $800 million for Health and Human Services initiatives, including repairing Head Start centers and biomedical research facilities.

While I strongly support it, the package is still not perfect. It does not fully fund the administration's request for community development block grants, does not include superior Senate language on the flexibility and cost share of Army Corps projects, and limits funding for health facilities that lost tens of millions of dollars due to the storm.

Finally, opponents of the legislation who claim that the bill is riddled with so-called ``pork'' and unnecessary provisions are just plain wrong. Frankly, anyone who has really read the bill knows there are no earmarks, and those who have toured the damage know that aid is desperately needed.

My colleagues, there were 146 major disaster declarations in the last 2 years. There isn't a region of the country immune to catastrophe. This package was written with the core belief that when one region suffers destruction by a natural disaster, Americans are proud to help their fellow citizens recover and rebuild. It is imperative that we support this package today and reject amendments that weaken the bill and prevent the region from recovering as quickly as possible.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished minority whip, Mr. Hoyer, who was extremely helpful to all of us on both sides of the aisle in bringing the bill to the floor today.

I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Well, first of all, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Rogers, who's been a good friend for so many years. I look forward to working together in a bipartisan way so we can work everything out before and serve the American people. And I thank you for your kind words.

I rise to engage the gentleman from Kentucky, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, in a colloquy.

Some questions have been raised about the interpretation of language in both of the Rogers substitute and the Frelinghuysen amendment under the Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The language prohibits use of amounts in that appropriation for costs that are reimbursed by self-insurance. I would like to engage Chairman Rogers in a discussion to help clarify the meaning of that provision.

Am I correct in understanding that the term ``self-insurance'' is intended to refer to a formal plan, pursuant to law or regulation, in which amounts are set aside in a fund to cover losses of specified types and amounts? Am I also correct that without such a formal, funded arrangement, a government or organization would not be considered to be self-insured for purposes of this language simply because they do not have any commercial insurance coverage for the loss in question?

I thank the gentleman. I would also like to confirm my understanding that this language would only preclude use of appropriated funds if the expenses in question were actually reimbursed by the formal self-insurance plan. In other words, merely having a self-insurance plan would not bar use of this appropriation for things that the plan did not cover or pay for. I ask the gentleman, is my understanding correct?

It is a pleasure for me to yield 2 minutes to Ranking Member Visclosky of the Defense Appropriations Committee.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, Mr. Serrano.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Madam Chair, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished dean of the New York delegation, Mr. Rangel.

Madam Chair, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Madam Chair, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey, who has been extraordinarily helpful in trying to sort out the challenges in this bill, Mr. Andrews.

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Madam Chair, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to our distinguished leader, who has been such an advocate for the assistance to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, who understands that every part of the country has catastrophes and that we as Americans have a responsibility. I thank her for her leadership, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) whose district has really seen incredible damage. He understands the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the people and community and the businesses.

Madam Chair, I'm very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from a neighboring district in New York (Mr. Engel), who suffered a great deal. He saw the pain and the loss of property and homes all throughout the region.

Mr. Chairman, I'll respond in 30 seconds, and then I'd be delighted if you closed.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to again thank you and Chairman Frelinghuysen for your hard work on this bill.

I would like to address all those who are not sure about how they're going to vote on this bill, and I would like to clarify the way this appropriation works.

When you have huge disasters, transit systems, tunnels, thousands of homes that have to be repaired, you need that money committed before you can engage any contractor, any builder in a contract.

Now, as you and I know, Mr. Chairman, we've worked a long time on that committee, and before a dollar goes out, the person has to be responsible for every dollar that is committed that they've spent and that they're going to spend. So we're not just writing an open check. We're just not opening our checkbook. We're responding to these tremendous needs, and I do hope we can get a bipartisan vote for this effort.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I rise in strong opposition to the Mulvaney amendment. It would make indiscriminate across-the-board cuts, it would create a $2.1 billion shortfall in military pay, take $529 million from military health care and $1.4 billion support for our troops in Afghanistan. Even before the Mulvaney amendment, the Joint Chiefs of Staff say we are on the brink of creating a hollow force.

It would also cut care for wounded warriors after they come home, reducing veterans' medical services by more than $800 million. And here at home the amendment would eliminate $650 million in funds to repair, rebuild, and expand highways and bridges. It would cut more than 139,000 low-income pregnant women, infants and young children from the WIC program.

It would take $500 million from the National Institutes of Health for research and cures for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.

On many occasions, Democrats and Republicans came together to meet these urgent needs caused by major disasters in all parts of the Nation. We didn't say we must first cut support for armed forces and veterans and reduce investments in research. Let's not do that now.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my friend Mr. Frelinghuysen, which would bring the funding total of this package to the amount requested by the President.

I cannot emphasize enough how critical the additional $33.4 billion provided in this amendment is to our region. I know there are many different viewpoints in this House and many different positions on issues we consider here, but Madam Chairwoman, I think we can all agree that the Federal Government has a fundamental and critical role when disasters of this magnitude strike. No State can do it alone. A Federal response is essential.

My colleagues, I commend Mr. Frelinghuysen on his amendment today, and I strongly urge its swift passage.

Madam Chair, I rise to claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Legal aid offices in Sandy-affected areas are experiencing a huge increase in requests for civil legal assistance that is directly related to the storm and its aftermath. The Legal Services Corporation exists precisely to help meet the civil legal needs of low-income Americans, and the Legal Services Corporation assistance is never more important than following a major disaster.

Since Sandy hit, legal aid programs in New York and New Jersey have set up recovery hotlines, staffed FEMA disaster recovery centers, partnered with other State and local organizations to conduct disaster assistance training, and participated in clinics to provide legal counseling to affected communities. Local legal service programs are helping families obtain emergency food stamps, disaster-related unemployment insurance benefits and FEMA benefits to pay for rent and other expenses.

The funding this amendment proposes to eliminate would enable local organizations to purchase the needed mobile resources and equipment and to hire the coordinators they need to manage volunteers.

The $1 million this amendment would strike is a small amount relative to all of the other disaster relief efforts in the bill, but it will have a disproportionately large impact on the lives of low-income Americans it will help. I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment.

I yield 1 minute to the distinguished chairman, Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to Mr. Jose Serrano of New York.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, at the onset I want to thank the leadership for helping to bring this important legislation to the floor. I also want to thank Chairman Hal Rogers and the Appropriations Committee for their assistance. One of the untold chapters of this post-Sandy story has been the hard work of the chairman and his staff in preparing both his amendment and mine, which follows. Most importantly, I want to thank the chairman for his eloquent statement in the Rules Committee last night. His heartfelt recognition of the hardship and misery suffered by our constituents in the Northeast meant a great deal to me personally and to our New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut delegations.

I also want to offer some words of appreciation to my colleagues from New Jersey and New York. Their bipartisan diligence and dedication and that of our staffs over the past several weeks should make all of our constituents proud. And then there is Governor Christie, my constituent from Morris County, whose tireless work has helped us get to this day and will help us get this bill across the finish line.

As he always does, he put a very human face on the devastation suffered by families and communities in New Jersey and our neighbors in New York and Connecticut.

My colleagues, people are hurting this afternoon in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut and other areas of the Northeast. The suffering and damage are real and their needs are great. According to many estimates, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and the rest of the east coast sustained nearly $100 billion worth of damage.

The destruction is staggering. 346,000 household units were damaged in New Jersey alone. Tens of thousands of our fellow Americans are still displaced from their homes and their apartments. Municipalities are struggling to provide services. Many are still under emergency declarations, and some municipalities are not habitable. Small businesses are decimated. Many small business men and women are trying to decide whether they can survive and keep their employees on the payroll.

Madam Chairman, the area damaged by Hurricane Sandy represents roughly 10 percent of our Nation's economy. It makes good sense, economic and fiscal, to get our region back on its feet as soon as it can.

I urge support of the Rogers amendment and the Frelinghuysen amendment. Without these vital measures, our constituents in the Northeast face nothing but more delay, more uncertainty, more unemployment, and more misery.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Young, that is correct. The funds we provide in this legislation in my amendment are funds we believe are required to respond to emergency needs for the Army Corps of Engineers related to Hurricane Sandy. By appropriating these funds for this direct purpose, other prior appropriated emergency funds for the Corps should be and are to remain available for other emergency needs in accordance with the direction provided in those previous acts.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself 1 minute.

Hurricane Sandy devastated the northeast coast in late October, 78 days ago, leaving misery in its wake, disrupting the lives and businesses of millions of our fellow citizens. The storm caused unprecedented destruction--$100 billion in New York and New Jersey alone. My amendment supplements Mr. Rogers' measure in order to bring the total aid package to $60 billion, which is the amount requested by the President and endorsed by Governors Christie, Cuomo, and Malloy.

I want the Members to know that this amendment strips out all provisions in the Senate that were deemed earmarks and all authorizing language.

Madam Chairman, I'll close by reminding our colleagues of the proud tradition of Congress' cite in the recent letter that many of us received from the Governors of the States affected. Madam Chair, in late December, the Governors of the affected States wrote to each House Member, and I quote:

The congressional delegations of our three States have

always been there to provide critical votes to these aid

packages, because that is what America is all about--when one

of us is in need, we step up to the plate to lend a helping

hand.

It's time to lend that helping hand, and I urge the support of my amendment.

Madam Chair, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to my colleague and good friend, Chris Smith, the Representative from New Jersey.

I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York City and Long Island, Congressman King.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for that courtesy. We highly appreciate it.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo) who probably represents more of New Jersey than any of our other Members.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to Mr. Grimm of Staten Island.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the Representative from New York State, Carolyn Maloney.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).

Madam Chair, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires).

I yield 1 minute to another Member of Congress from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).

Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of the time.

Madam Chair, I do have a point of clarification before I yield back my

time. The amendment includes $22,220,000 for the Federal Highway Administration's emergency relief program. It's our intent that the $100 million cap applies to only the funds in this act, and not to previous emergencies.

In closing, Madam Chairman, as I said earlier, I ask all Members to lend the Northeast a hand, help us put lives and families and communities back in good order. Those that have suffered, continue to suffer, have had personal misery and loss, we remember them as we pass this bill today. And I want to thank all the Members for stepping forward to be supportive of this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Flores

Madam Chair, I rise to claim the time in opposition.

I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Madam Chairman, I'm very pleased to support the gentleman's amendment. I commend him for his effort. This is directly Sandy related. We thank you for your work on this.

Madam Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah).

Madam Chairman, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield the balance of my time to Mr. Blumenauer of Oregon.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

In the hundreds of thousands of people that have been displaced in the Northeast are a lot of people who have lost their apartments and houses that don't have the money to hire lawyers. Their conditions are such they've lost everything that they have--their possessions, their apartments, the houses that they've invested in throughout their lives--and many of these people do not have the financial means to protect their interests.

I know people have a hate-on for the Legal Services Corporation of America--and they've had their problems, and our Appropriations Committee has dealt with reining them in when they've acted inappropriately--but at a time when people are in such desperate straits and misery, to deny the poorest of the poor recourse when fat people can be taking advantage of them, or they're looking for some sort of food and shelter and they're seeking legal counsel to make sure that they can protect their rights and their families, I'm opposed to this amendment, I think, for good reason.

I want to thank the gentleman and Mr. Campbell, the cosponsor, for this clarification. I'm pleased to accept it. Thank you very much.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. Velazquez, removing mold is critical to restoring the lives and livelihoods of New Yorkers, New Jerseyans, and those in Connecticut living in public housing affected by the storm.

We will work to see that in the final bill funding is made available for mold abatement, and we thank you for your focus on this very important issue that often escapes public notice unless you're directly affected. So I want to commend you for that effort.

I want to thank the gentleman from Kansas for putting forward this amendment. I am pleased to accept it. I just want to assure you that in both the Rogers amendment and my amendment we have plenty of transparency, and we have lots of reports, and I think your added protections of the taxpayers' dollars are very much in order.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 152, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as may consume.

Madam Chairman, I rise to present legislation providing emergency supplemental funding for Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery. The base bill totals $17 billion in crucial funding to meet immediate needs for the victims, businesses, and communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Since this terrible storm hit, we've come to realize that recovery is going to take months and years, not days and weeks. This legislation puts the region on the path to recovery by providing the aid needed for immediate relief. We are also analyzing the justifications for further financial aid for long-term relief that would come in a later supplemental or a regular appropriations bill.

A significant portion of the funding in this bill will go to the most direct source of relief and recovery funding available to the victims of the storm, the FEMA disaster relief fund, which will provide individual and community assistance throughout the affected region. The bill also will support critical housing and infrastructure needs, ensure repairs to damaged veterans medical facilities, and help keep the economy moving by funding necessary transit repairs, small business loans, and recovery aid for businesses of all sizes.

My committee thoroughly examined the emergency request, listened to the needs of the people in the region, and assessed the most pressing needs to determine the funding levels made in this bill. We crafted this legislation responsibly, giving the administration's request and the Senate-passed bill a hard scrub to eliminate unnecessary spending. We have removed objectionable provisions added by the Senate and have adjusted funding levels to make the best use of taxpayer dollars. As we know, we face precarious fiscal times, and it is essential that Congress make responsible decisions to ensure efficient and effective spending.

Taking cues from previous efforts, we have included important oversight measures to prevent abuse and ensure that Federal agencies are using these funds effectively and appropriately.

This is not the first major natural disaster nor unfortunately will it be the last. One of the great attributes of the American people has been our ability and willingness to come together time and time again to help victims of catastrophes recover. We've seen the havoc that Sandy has wrought on the residents of our Northeast region, and it is once again our duty to help our people get back on their feet.

I urge our colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, a member of our committee who has been unceasing in his efforts to aid the people of his home region, Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself 3 minutes, Madam Chairman, and I yield to Mrs. Lowey, the ranking member of the committee--who, by the way, this is her first appearance on the floor as the new ranking Democrat on the full Appropriations Committee. I want to initially congratulate her on that position. I look forward to a good working relationship with her.

I yield to the gentlelady.

Reclaiming my time, yes, the gentlelady's understanding is correct, and I further yield to her.

The gentlelady's understanding is correct.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York City, Mr. Grimm.

Will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Yes, that is my understanding and intention.

As you know, Congress has previously recognized the critical role our public schools play in creating stability and meeting the educational needs of children and youth displaced by disasters.

The flexibility of the SSBG has proven crucial in responding to the many needs that arise in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Transporting displaced students is an allowable purpose under the social services block grant, and I encourage HHS and affected States to work with affected school districts and promptly provide any reimbursements for these critical services.

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo).

May I inquire, Madam Chair, of the time remaining?

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Gardner).

First, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for his work on the Emergency Watershed Program. I am aware of the need for this assistance not only in Colorado but in other parts of the country, and I look forward to working with you and others to address this important funding in future legislation.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I have no further requests for time. I'm prepared to close if the gentlelady is prepared.

Madam Chairman, I urge adoption of the Rogers amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Madam Chair, I yield myself 3 minutes.

Our people in the Northeast are facing a struggle of historic proportions. Many have seen their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities decimated beyond belief. It is the Federal responsibility-- and in fact our responsibility as human beings--to help those victims in this unexpected catastrophe.

In doing so, we must expend some Federal dollars. I don't take spending this money lightly. Our country faces a deficit crisis, as the gentleman from South Carolina has said, a deficit crisis of huge proportions, with an economy that's fighting to recover; and any expenditure must be weighed against all other needs facing our Nation.

Now, I don't take a back seat to anyone when it comes to cutting spending. Since I've chaired this committee the last 2 years, we've cut $100 billion off of discretionary spending, 2 years in a row, going on a third. That's not happened since World War II. So I know whereof I speak.

In this case, Madam Chair, the needs are very desperately clear. We must provide this emergency funding, as we are allowed by law, without the devastating slash-and-burn cuts elsewhere that this amendment would cause. The amendment before us would slash nearly $20 billion from discretionary spending this year alone, totally indiscriminate, unspecific, cutting the good and the bad, completely abdicating the responsibility of Congress to determine where spending should or should not occur.

To put this in perspective, this amendment contains a cut to regular discretionary spending that is about the size of the entire agriculture discretionary budget for the year. It is about the equivalent of eliminating all discretionary funding for the Department of Transportation or the full annual budgets of the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol combined.

As written, this amendment is an across-the-board cut that holds no program safe from harm. Defense spending, which is already facing potentially devastating sequestration cuts, is cut by another $10 billion. It would cut war funding by $1.6 billion, directly affecting our troops who are putting their lives on the line in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.

This amendment also cuts funding for our veterans by $200 million, potentially endangering the quality of their care and making a statement that Congress is willing to go back on commitments to our vets. And the list of other unwise cuts and side effects go on.

Finally, this amendment goes against the precedent of previous emergency supplementals, which did not contain these extreme offsets.

I yield myself an additional 30 seconds.

I believe we can and should attempt to budget for disasters, as we did under the BCA. There are times when a disaster simply goes beyond our ability to offset. Hurricane Sandy is one of those times.

I urge a defeat of the amendment.

I now yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I rise today to support H.R. 152 ``the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013,'' which will provide relief to citizens devastated by the impact of Superstorm Sandy.

Last month, the Administration requested $60.4 billion in federal aid to provide financial assistance to homeowners and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. Back on December 28, 2012, the Senate passed a $61 billion comprehensive aid package for the victims and communities by a vote of 62-32.

I am pleased that this body was able to pass H.R. 41, a $9.7 billion dollar bill which temporarily increased the borrowing authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for carrying out the National Flood Insurance Program.

Now that the President has signed H.R. 41, victims of Superstorm Sandy are finally able to receive some much-needed relief from the federal government. The issue before us is that in no other time in the last 2 decades have victims had to wait this long for relief.

hurricane ike

Right after Hurricane Ike devastated Texas in September 2008, I worked hard with the Members of the Texas Congressional delegation to ensure that Texas was appropriated the recovery funds it so desperately needed. In early 2009, the State of Texas received part of these recovery funds, namely $219 million under the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Overall, the Federal Government provided over $1 billion of federal aid for hurricane Ike relief by June 2009 including: $103 million to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for debris removal, $35 million to the Sam Houston Electric Cooperative for restoration work and $10 million to the Trinity Bay Conservation District for debris removal. I understand the plight of the New York Delegation.

Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc on Texas, particularly in Galveston and Houston. As we move forward with recovery efforts, it became clear that the impact of the storm had been widespread and many people were still in need of assistance. I suspect that these are the same circumstances under which the survivors of Hurricane Sandy find themselves. I want to remind everyone in this Chamber that during Hurricane Ike, more than 60 Americans and over 26 Texans died. Moreover, it resulted in the evacuation of over 1 million residents and caused over $11 billion worth of damage.

Hurricanes of the magnitude that we have faced over the last decade require a federal

response. We have a duty and an obligation to help our neighbors. I am surprised by those who are quick to say that this situation is different that the Hurricanes that came before. Hurricane Sandy like Ike and Katrina took lives, destroyed homes, and devastated communities. Again, Hurricane Ike caused millions of dollars in damage throughout Houston and Galveston. The local agencies processing the people impacted by Hurricane Ike for which these funds were utilized, received these funds from the state and federal agencies six months late, but they did receive funds because the funds were available. The victims of Sandy are still waiting for a federal response.

The road to recovery and reconstruction was not easy after hurricane Ike, but with the cooperation of the United States government, those states affected were able to recover. I saw the destruction that hurricane Ike caused to the city of Houston's infrastructure and I have also seen how the city of Houston was able to rebuild damaged roadways and bridges. Galveston was able to rebuild its shoreline, which has recently experienced its most lucrative tourist season since Hurricane Ike. With the necessary federal assistance, communities can recover from disaster.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina took the lives of 1,833 men, women, and children, while leaving roughly 400,000 people without jobs. Close to 275,000 homes were lost as a result of the record-breaking storm surge that developed and the dozens of levees that couldn't withstand the rage of Katrina. Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated $108 billion in damage, becoming America's costliest hurricane.

I would like to take a moment to paint a picture for Members of this body about the differences in response to this Hurricane and that of Hurricane Katrina, just in terms of funding. On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States ravaging Americans from Texas to Florida, and even as far inland as the Ohio valley. In 5 days, on September 2, 2005, President George W. Bush signed into law a bill to provide $10.5 billion in emergency funding for disaster relief related to Hurricane Katrina. Six days later, Congress passed another bill for $51.8 billion in emergency appropriations. It took a total of 10 days for Congress to approve $62.3 billion in emergency funding for Hurricane Katrina relief. Here we are today, nearly 2 months after Sandy, still debating Hurricane Sandy funding.

Over 7 years ago, I sat down with NPR's Ed Gordon as a part of a special roundtable to discuss the impact of Hurricane Katrina and Washington's tremendously slow response time to disaster relief efforts. I recall the anger and frustration in the hearts and minds of Americans across the country at the Bush Administration's seemingly lack of urgency in dealing with the disaster.

At the time, Congress was able to pass an initial emergency relief bill worth $10 billion 4 days after Katrina made landfall, and then pass an additional $52 billion in funding 6 days after that. It took 10 days for congress to pass a Katrina relief bill worth $62.3 billion, and yet a comprehensive relief bill for Sandy has not yet been approved.

We now stand 78 days after the hurricane, which is appalling when you consider the fact we are dealing with Americans' humanity and livelihoods. We forecast these disasters; 10 days was too long for Katrina, and 78 days after Sandy is simply unacceptable.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of the United States I, along with several other Members of Congress, introduced legislation to protect the families and businesses financially overwhelmed by the disaster.

When the Judiciary Committee considered the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act at the beginning of 2005, I offered an amendment to protect the victims of natural disasters like those who were unfortunately, eventually, devastated by Hurricane Katrina later that year.

Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Members of Congress and I continued to fight for financial relief for those affected by natural disasters because that is the American way; we take care of our nation's most vulnerable citizens regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status or unfortunate circumstance. I'd like to think that 7 years after the passage of federal funds for the most expensive hurricane in our nation's history, that when the next massive storm arrives, law makers would be able to approve emergency relief bills in less than 10 days. Sadly, with Sandy, it seems as though we are moving in the opposite direction.

Since this historic storm devastated the east coast in late October, the people impacted by the storm, particularly those in the Tri-State area of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, have been waiting patiently for the federal government to act as they continue to engage in efforts to rebuild their communities.

However, the time for patience has long since expired, and these Americans can no longer wait for Congress to act to provide comprehensive relief.

For families without a home, and for businesses without a storefront or customers, this situation has been an ongoing nightmare. These families and businesses have been waiting for Congress to join them in their struggle to pick up the pieces and put their communities back together.

The proposal before us is our opportunity to step up and help to restore these suffering communities; that is the role of the federal government. Every state in this country is, at any given moment in time, at risk for experiencing a devastating and costly natural or manmade disaster.

When state and local governments face overwhelming challenges that are too big and too expensive to ever hope to resolve in isolation, the federal government should be there to quickly assist them in their recovery. That is what makes us strong as a nation; that we can come together when necessary to prevent the pieces of our country from crumbling individually.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding me this time.

In the days following Superstorm Sandy, many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle reached out to me, and I think they did the same to others throughout the quad-State region, expressing their sympathies and their concern. While they weren't able to see firsthand the devastation, everyone had a sense, I think, of that devastation by the footage they all saw on television and over the Internet. It was pretty powerful in itself.

Everyone, I think, was astonished at the magnitude. We're not used to having such disasters in New York City; and everyone was shocked to see the extent of the damage, homes literally wiped away, businesses destroyed, flood waters consuming people's living rooms and completely overturning their lives. And the damage wasn't just in one city or one town or, for that matter, one State. From Breezy Point, Queens, to Edgewater in my district in the Bronx, from Manhattan to Brooklyn to Staten Island to Westchester to Long Island, from the coasts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, all of the way over to Connecticut, so many people's lives were wrecked by this powerful storm.

While words are kind and they are very much appreciated, action behind those words is even more appreciated. Today, finally, I believe we'll have the opportunity to see action. Seventy-nine days later, and far too much politics in between, this Congress is doing what the people of these communities need and what the American people demand-- taking action.

I'm thankful to this Congress. I'm thankful that it's finally taking action to help the people of my district and the millions of other people hit hard by this enormous storm. I want to thank all of my colleagues from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania for our shared commitment to getting this done and never letting partisanship surrounding this debate divide us. I want to say a special thanks to Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and Ranking Member Nita Lowey, along with their staffs, who have driven this process from day one. I want to thank you both.

This bill will provide direct assistance to communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy. It will help restore and replace damaged or destroyed infrastructure, and it'll put in place cost-saving measures to prevent further damage when--when, and not if--future storms occur.

I would just urge any of my colleagues, Democrat or Republican, who

are considering voting against either the Frelinghuysen amendment or the overall bill to just for a moment put yourself in one of your colleague's shoes. I don't wish Superstorm Sandy or anything like it on any of my colleagues anywhere in the United States; but the one thing you need to know is that if this happens that your country will be there for you. There's the physical damage, but also the mental damage that people are experiencing because they think the country has forgotten them. Don't forget these people. Do the right thing. Vote for this bill.

In the days after Hurricane Sandy, I was moved by the words of sympathy and concern I received from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

While many were not able to see the destruction firsthand, everyone could see the devastating images and footage on TV, in newspapers, and over the Internet.

Everyone was astonished by the magnitude of the damage.

Everyone was shocked to see the extensive damage to--homes wiped away, businesses destroyed, flood waters consuming people's living rooms, and lives completely overturned.

And the damage wasn't just in one town or one state. From Breezy Point, Queens to Edgewater in the Bronx; from Manhattan, Brooklyn to Staten Island, Westchester to Long Island; from the coasts of New Jersey to Connecticut; so many people's lives were wrecked by this powerful storm.

While kind words are one thing, actions backing up those words are another.

And today, finally, we have the opportunity to act.

79 days later, and after far too much politics, Congress is doing what the people of these communities need--and what the American people demand: taking action.

I am thankful this Congress is finally taking action to help the people of my district and all the millions of people hit hard by this hurricane.

I want to thank all of my colleagues from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania for our shared commitment to getting this done and never letting partisanship surrounding this debate divide us. A special thanks to Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and Ranking Member Nita Lowey, along with their staff, who have driven this process from Day One.

This bill will provide direct assistance to the communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy. It will help restore and replace damaged or destroyed infrastructure; and it will put in place cost-saving measures to prevent further damage when, not if, future storms occur.

This is a good bill, and it deserves full bipartisan support of the entire House.

I would urge any Democrat or Republican who is thinking about voting against any portion of this aid package to reconsider. For a moment, please put yourself in our shoes--the shoes of every family, every American who lost or suffered as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

I do not wish what happened in my State on anyone, but the reality is the devastation that occurred in my backyard, throughout my district, across my State and to my constituents could happen anywhere at any time. If it does, you will want us, as a Congress, to stand together, to put aside politics and help your constituents, hard-working Americans, get back on their feet.

Today, let's stand with our fellow Americans who are rebuilding by voting for the underlying bill and the Frelinghuysen amendment. Together, the passage of these two measures will ensure the U.S. Congress is providing real help--and not just lip service--to all those hurt by this devastating hurricane.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey.

I have never, in my 14 years, spoken from this side of the aisle. I do it today, not as a gimmick, but as part of my plea to my Republican colleagues, to all of us, not to act as Democrats and Republicans.

People are suffering throughout the Northeast. They continue to do so. The Frelinghuysen amendment is one that will give assurance to the people of the Quad-State region that the Federal Government will be there with them throughout this crisis, that they will be there. When everyone else has forgotten, the Federal Government will be there.

The level of devastation is enormous. And as I said before, the level of psychological damage is enormous, and we only know the tip of the iceberg. We don't know yet what will come.

This amendment will give peace of mind to Americans who are suffering today. Americans just like all of us here today are suffering, and they are looking to their Congress, not red, not blue, not Democrat, not Republican, just Americans helping Americans. That's what this amendment and this bill is all about.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding me this minute.