Expressing condolences and support for the victims of the July 4 flooding in Texas, honoring acts of heroism, and committing to stand with those impacted by these floods.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for his leadership on this. I thank all my colleagues from Texas for their support not just on this resolution, but throughout the ordeal back in July and since, as we continue to work through the tragedy and find the lives that have been lost.

We are still looking for several, as the gentleman from Alabama noted. I appreciate the kind words from the gentleman from Alabama. There is no time for politics when you are dealing with moments like that. I appreciated engaging with him. I wish it had been a better outcome, but I do appreciate our engagement on that to try to do what we can for the families that were impacted.

I will say a few things about this. I have never done a resolution. I generally don't like to focus on resolutions. I feel like we are here to do the business of the people. In this instance, I felt compelled to bring a resolution to the floor on behalf of the people of the Hill Country and on behalf of the families affected throughout the country, as the gentleman from Alabama noted.

It wasn't just that. It was our colleague from Georgia, Buddy Carter, who had family impacted by it. Some survived, but at least one little girl didn't. I could go through the list, but it affected many people in this Chamber. The gentlewoman from Texas, Lizzie Fletcher, who herself went to camps in the Hill Country, had constituents who were affected by it and many others. I felt compelled to bring this resolution to the floor, and I will explain why in just a minute.

I thank the leadership of so many people in response to the floods that ravaged the community in the Hill Country. It is hard to put into words exactly how bad it was. Two days after the flood, I drove down the river with one of my staffers. It looked essentially like an F5 tornado just ripped down the valley. There were 100-plus-year-old cypress trees that were just laid flat. There is so much vegetation waste that has been piled up, I think it would cover something like 100 football fields 10 feet tall. There is so much damage that was done alongside the river.

I raise that because there are so many recriminations and questions-- it is not a political thing--since the floods, but it is hard to put into words the momentous event that it was when it struck at 4 o'clock in the morning on July 4.

There are things that no doubt could be done differently. A lot of this is going to be played out over time in litigation and legislation. That is not really the story for me. That is not what I will remember. That is not what I will carry forward.

I will carry forward, and I thank personally the President of the United States; Susie Wiles; the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem; and the leadership that engaged from the Federal level to the State to the local level: Governor Abbott; the Lieutenant Governor; the head of the Texas Department of Emergency Management, Nim Kidd; the head of DPS, Freeman Martin; all of the leadership in Kerr County, Sheriff Leitha in particular; the people in the community who stepped up; all of the first responders; and the Coast Guard, as the gentleman from Alabama mentioned.

All of these are people who responded and stood up immediately and didn't point fingers. They just got together at an emergency center and figured out what to do. They came together to deliver as quick a result as you could, saved many lives in the process, and then dealt with the loss of life that came from the flood.

We will manage through this as we go forward, whether it is in Texas or here, whatever policies we change. That is what you do. That is how you learn and you make policies and you adapt.

I want to make a point about the things that we know are impacted, things that will never be the same. Those cypress trees that were 100 years old, those are not going to be the same for hundreds of years. The damage that was done to the community, the buildings that were ravaged, the little girls whose lives were lost, the people who were down there vacationing whose lives were lost, the camps that were destroyed--Camp Mystic, Camp La Junta, Heart O' the Hills--that are now either moving or having to redo their entire models and plans, none of those things are going to be the same. All of those things are now forever changed.

However, there is one thing that is enduring. I talked about it when we talked about this the week after it happened when we came back into this Chamber, and that is the cross that sits on the hill in Kerrville. It is the faith of the people of Kerrville and Kerr County, Texas, that came together under that cross to stand up for something bigger and a vision that is much greater than the tragedy that we endured.

What is actually going to endure and carry forward is a strong faith and a commitment in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, the people who came together in prayer along the streets of Kerrville that comforted families, the $150 million that was raised through the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country from all over the country and heavily from Texans, the concerts that were held, the events that were carried out.

All of this stuff came together so that people could not look to point fingers--look, there are questions that will be asked--but to come together in a tragedy to stand tall and to come together in a bond about something that is greater than the loss of life but that will carry forward and endure forever. That is what I will remember about this. We are going to rebuild. We are going to continue to work.

I appreciate this resolution. It is important for the United States House of Representatives to recognize this. I urge its support and adoption, and I am

deeply appreciative of my friend from Texas and all those who have cosponsored the resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I, too, support H. Res. 782 to express condolences and support for the victims of the July 4 flooding in Texas and also to honor the acts of heroism and commit to stand with those impacted by the floods through the rebuilding.

The floods that tore through the Texas Hill Country were devastating beyond words. There were 135 lives lost, and many, many lives changed forever in terms of having to endure it, some of whom we had the privilege of seeing here in this House last July. Three souls are actually still missing. Families have been shattered, communities submerged, and more than 200 homes damaged. Businesses and infrastructure were crippled.

Before I go any further, I will take a moment to acknowledge a heartbreaking loss that my district felt with this that has touched the Mobile, Alabama, community deeply. We are grieving the tragic deaths of four members of the same family, the Santana family, a family of military veterans: Eddie, Sr., aged 69; Ileana, his wife, aged 66; Camille, their daughter-in-law, aged 38; and Mila Rose, just 5 years old. While visiting the Hill Country, they were caught in the floods on that tragic evening.

Only one member of that family, Eddie Santana, Jr., survived. I ask that we continue to hold him in our hearts and include his entire family in our prayers as they now face a future with unimaginable sorrow.

To all those grieving, I offer my most sincere condolences. The horror of this disaster is truly hard for any of us to comprehend. Yet, in the face of tragedy, we saw extraordinary courage. First responders across Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard, and volunteers from across the country sprang into action, risking their lives to save countless others. We are eternally grateful for their service and sacrifice.

Though the water has receded in Kerr County, the work is far from over. We must rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, and revive local businesses. However, we must also analyze our Federal

response and ensure we ask the necessary questions and make the necessary changes.

We know now, in light of the tragedy, that the highly specialized search and rescue teams were delayed by over 3 days in getting there. Members also inquired recently about why some call center contracts had lapsed in the days leading up to and following the flood, leaving some survivors' calls unanswered.

Subsequent reports have indicated that a policy at DHS is a contributing factor, a policy that required the Secretary to personally approve any expenditures over $100,000. This is something that we have to analyze, and we must make the necessary changes.

Reports have also revealed that payments for vital disaster recovery projects beyond this one, in North Carolina, have been indefinitely delayed. This is not something we can tolerate in response to this tragedy.

If we are going to rebuild the Hill Country with the urgency Texans deserve, the bottlenecks must be eliminated. Without this change, we cannot stand here and say that we are doing everything in our power to help Texas.

I am encouraged by the bipartisan efforts on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We recently passed the FEMA Act with a 57-3 vote. This legislation would dramatically overhaul FEMA and deliver swift resources to disaster survivors. I urge House leadership to bring this bill to the floor without delay.

Before I close, I will take a moment to acknowledge that when it was brought to my knowledge that the family from Mobile, Alabama, was impacted by this flood, I, being a freshman Member of Congress, reached out to some of my Republican colleagues and asked for the number of Chip Roy. Chip Roy and I had never really had a conversation before that, but I texted him and I called him.

Chip was understandably busy, and he responded back to a text message. I said: Chip, we have got a family of five missing from my hometown.

Chip didn't ask questions. Chip just said: Send me their names and send me where they were. I did. Unfortunately, the results were what they were. However, I appreciate Chip's response. I do. I know the families impacted by this appreciate his diligence here as well.

I will close saying I support H. Res. 782 and urge my colleagues to do the same. Let's honor the victims, support the survivors, and ensure our Nation responds better and faster in the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I support House Resolution 728, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Again, I express my sincere appreciation to Congressman Chip Roy for helping out my district and the citizens of my district during this critical time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 782) expressing condolences and support for the victims of the July 4 flooding in Texas, honoring acts of heroism, and committing to stand with those impacted by these floods.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H. Res. 782.

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

Mr. Speaker, this resolution also honors the brave first responders who risked their lives while rescuing over 850 souls.

It further pledges our commitment to stand in solidarity with the survivors of this unspeakable tragedy and the families who lost loved ones.

My own family has attended summer camps in the Hill Country for many generations, and my grandchildren were there only days before these tragic floods.

The July floods stole the lives of over 135 innocent people, including 37 children, some of them my own constituents in District 36.

It wreaked havoc on over 2,000 homes and businesses throughout Kerr County and inflicted $1.1 billion worth of damage on the residences across the Hill Country. Just seeing the tremendous damage in person done by this disaster was an unbelievable experience.

I am very proud of the President's response. By swiftly issuing a major disaster declaration, FEMA has been able to approve $38 million in individual assistance, as well as $31 million in public assistance.

This tragedy prompted the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, under my chairmanship, to pass the Weather Act Authorization. This legislation will improve emergency preparedness for communities nationwide and deliver vital enhancements to our forecasting capabilities, which is why it must be brought to the House floor soon.

While the Federal response has been both vigorous and robust, it is the duty of this Congress to offer solace and comfort to the people of Texas. This resolution today will do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman and my good friend from Texas-- this tragedy occurred in his district--Congressman Chip Roy, for his able leadership on this bipartisan resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), the resolution's sponsor.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this resolution will cement unwavering support of this Congress to the brave folks from the great State of Texas. To honor the lives lost and the perseverance of the survivors, it is our duty to pass this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 782, and I yield back the balance of my time.