Flooding in the State of Texas
Floor Speech
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. That subject, Mr. Speaker, will be flooding in the State of Texas.
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I and a good many of my colleagues will speak tonight about circumstances that are occurring in Texas more often than we would care to see. In a sense, Mr. Speaker, this is a continuation of a mission of mercy that we embarked upon earlier this year when we were having flooding in Houston, Texas.
These floods that we are having across the length and breadth of our State are causing great property damage, and that is worthy of a lot of consideration and it is worthy of being addressed on the floor of the House of Representatives. But we also have a good many lives that have been lost across the length and breadth of our State, and these, of course, are of paramount importance to us. So while we may make some references to the property damages and there will be some things said about possible solutions, I believe that we will say a good deal about the lives that have been lost.
Mr. Farenthold has experienced some flooding, and I am honored to have him appear and tell us about what is happening to his constituents in the 27th Congressional District.
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for the unity that is engendered by his being here tonight.
It is important for people to know that this is not a time for Democrats or a time for Republicans. This is a time for Texans to come together and to talk about some of the concerns that we have and to remember those who have lost their lives in these floods.
At this time, I am honored to yield to a neighbor who is from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. He is south of me. Of course, I speak of the Honorable Pete Olson. We are honored to have him with us tonight, and we welcome your commentary about some of the concerns in your district and, indeed, across the State.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for not only what he has said tonight, but for what he has been doing in his district to help persons in times of need. It is greatly appreciated by his constituents, and I greatly appreciate you coming to the floor tonight to let people know that we in Texas are standing together, and we are going to work together and we will get through this, but it won't hurt if we can get a little bit of help.
I am honored to have another colleague, who has a district that is in Houston. Of course, he has been in Congress for many years, and I consider him a very dear friend, the Honorable Gene Green, from the 29th Congressional District in Houston, Texas.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague for coming to the floor. I know a good many of his constituents--he and I are often in each other's districts. I know that they are exceedingly pleased that he has taken up this cause. My hope is that he and I will continue with this mission of mercy, if you will, such that we will bring to fruition some solutions for the problems that we encounter not only in Houston, but also across the length and breadth of our State.
I am honored to yield, Mr. Speaker, to the gentleman from the 20th Congressional District of Texas (Mr. Castro), who is in Congress not as a neophyte. I believe he has been here now into his second term. He has done an outstanding job since he arrived in Congress. We are honored to hear from him about some of his concerns and his constituents.
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate the gentleman sharing time with us on the floor tonight. He has spoken very eloquently about some of the concerns that go beyond the visible property damages.
Ostensibly things happen, but there are some other things that are happening that we don't always uncover. When these things happen to poor people, the damages can exceed far more than the eye can see. I am grateful that he has called some of these things to our attention. Thank you very much.
At this time, I am going to call upon another colleague. All of these are dear friends. These are persons who have come to the floor tonight, quite frankly, not in a bipartisan effort, but more in a nonpartisan effort. There is no partisanship associated with what we do. We work together on these issues.
I am honored to yield to the gentleman from the 14th Congressional District, the Honorable Randy Weber. He is one of my neighbors as well. I welcome you, and I yield to him, my dear friend.
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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Randy Weber. I especially thank him for signing on early to the legislation that Congressman Gene Green called to our attention. I appreciate it greatly. We look forward to working with the gentleman. I thank him for the outstanding effort.
Mr. Speaker, you heard one of our Members mention that we were having 100-year and 500-year floods. This is debatable, I suppose, whether they are 100-year floods or 500-year floods, but there is one fact that is beyond dispute. It is beyond reproach. The fact is this: We are having billion dollar floods. Billion dollar floods, Mr. Speaker, in Houston, Texas.
Within the last year, a little more than a year now, but within a 12- month period of time, Houston, Texas, has been declared a disaster area twice. Twice. Over the last 20 years, billions of dollars spent, and we have had 4 to 5 days of flooding each year over the last 20 years.
This flooding is causing great harm to property. There are people who have just moved back into their homes, Mr. Speaker, and they find themselves now being evicted by floodwaters again, waters that they cannot extricate themselves from. Their homes are stationary and fixed. They have to cope with these floods. They have to cope with their life after the floods. We are here tonight to let the country know that we in Houston, Texas, are tough. We are Texas tough. But there is something that we can do to help the people in Houston, Texas.
I don't want to talk about that right now, to be quite candid with you. After losing the lives of our military persons in Fort Hood, Texas, I believe it is very important for us to make some special reference to them. These are people who have served this country, who were prepared to live and die for the country. They are persons who were in training, and they were among the finest that we have. I regret that we have lost them.
All lives are precious. All lives are special. I came to the floor earlier, and I recited the names of persons who had lost their lives, some 16 persons in the Memorial Day flood and the tax day flood. At this time, I believe it necessary and appropriate to mention the persons who lost their lives in Fort Hood, nine soldiers.
Mr. Speaker, we had a staff sergeant lose his life, Staff Sergeant Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, 38 years of age. Mr. Speaker, he served with honor. He received five Army Commendation Medals and Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, two Korea Defense Service Medals, the Army Service Ribbon, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal, and other honors as well.
Specialist Yingming Sun, age 25, from California. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Specialist Christine Faith Armstrong, age 27, from California. She received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Private First Class Brandon Austin Banner, 22 years of age. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Marksmanship Qualification Badge.
Private First Class Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, age 23, Floridian. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Private Isaac Lee Deleon, age 19. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Private Eddy Gates, age 20, North Carolina. She received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Private Tysheena James, age 21. She received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Finally, Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey, age 21. He was majoring in Engineering Management at West Point.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the time, and I would like to close with this, if you will allow. All of these people were meeting the measure of life that Ruth Smeltzer called to our attention: Some measure their lives by days and years, others by heartthrobs, passions and tears; but the surest measure under God's sun is what for others in your lifetime have you done.
These were persons who were committed to doing for others in this great country; and they were committed to doing it to the extent that, unfortunately, with all of their honors, they lost their lives in circumstances from which they could not extricate themselves under adverse weather conditions.
I believe that they are worthy of a moment of a silence. They are worthy of much more, to be quite candid with you, but I believe that tonight this House should recognize all of them and all of those who have lost their lives with a moment of silence. And I shall ask that we engage in such at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I would have the families of all of them note that they may be gone physically, but they will never be forgotten. We want the record to show that they served their country with distinction and with honor.
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