Hurricane Harvey

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, at the outset, let me say that I share the feelings of so many across the Nation who really try to understand and appreciate the immensity of the tragedy that struck Texas, Louisiana, and nearby places with Hurricane Harvey.

We followed the news. I have family in Texas who, through emails, kept us informed as to what was occurring and the horrible stories of people who lost their homes, their businesses, their lives. There is the story that Senator Cornyn has told about Officer Perez, who lost his life in service to the people whom he represented as a law enforcement officer. It touched us. It touched us dearly. We know that there have been extraordinary cases of heroism and bravery by individuals across the board. Many of them will never be reported and will be known only to a handful of people, but it really was an endorsement of the American spirit--the Texas spirit--when it comes to fighting this disaster.

So I say to the Senator from Texas that I am not one of those Senators who picks and chooses natural disasters only in my State to support. I have supported Federal assistance for natural disasters all across the United States because I know what happened when they hit Illinois and when I needed others to stand by me. I am prepared to stand by Texas, stand by Louisiana, stand by all of those who are victims of Hurricane Harvey. I believe that, as an American family, we have a responsibility to stand together, and I thank the Senator from Texas for his statement.

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