Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to House Amendment to Senate Amendment to H.r. 601, Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I represent District 14, which, arguably, is ground zero for flooding. It is the first three coastal counties that start at Louisiana and come down the Texas coast: Jefferson County, Galveston County, and then the southern half of Brazoria County.

As I reflected, Mr. Speaker, about Harvey, I thought I would put some thoughts down on paper. It is staggering and incredible, when you think about it, and, unfortunately, our friends in Florida may be facing exactly the same thing. Of course, Hurricane Irma came up through the Caribbean wreaking havoc. Our prayers and thoughts go out to those families.

Over 60 deaths here alone. FEMA applications, 650,000-plus already. Shelters, there were 49,000 people staying in shelters in the three counties that I have just discussed. Secretary Price said in a briefing this morning they are down to around, I think it is, 13,000, 14,000, so that number has diminished. Money spent by FEMA so far, last estimate, $200 million.

Untold thousands, hundreds of thousands of cases of water have been sent.

Hundreds of cities, communities, towns, neighborhoods affected. Mr. Speaker, the annual average rainfall in that area on a yearly basis, of course, is 50 inches. Folks, we got 53 inches in 3 days.

Population on the southeast part of Texas, you could say, is about 6 to 7 million people that have been affected by this. In Louisiana, I am not sure: half a million people affected by the rain, over 100,000 houses flooded.

Fuel production down from the Gulf Coast energy capital of Texas is down by 20 percent. Jobs that have gone on hold or either just gone. Cars flooded, tens of thousands of cars flooded. People have no transportation.

Overall cost, you have seen the projections, over $150 billion--with a B, dollars. Ports are shut down. The port of Houston was closed. Channels are sholed in. Sabine-Neches Waterway, Port of Freeport, all of them affected by this. I am told that when ports are shut down, economic trade stops--to the cost of over $1 billion a day.

HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price said, on the Weather Channel, that four hospitals are closed; it had been 30. Thirteen dialysis centers closed, 26 nursing homes closed. He said that HHS had encountered some 5,000 patients during the storm, not all related to the storm.

I want to add that I watched some of our great doctors in Jefferson County--Dr. Garrett Peel, Dr. Ray Callas--go to work, Baptist Hospital, Christus Hospital, get in gear, and 500 tetanus vaccines were delivered because of the threat of disease.

Dr. Price went on to say that the CDC was making plans for mosquito control due to the Zika virus. They have extended pharmaceutical waivers for drug prescriptions to be allowed for longer than 30 days.

Dr. Price did note this morning that there were some 5,400 patients with electricity requirements for treatment alone, whether it is dialysis or some form, but that 20,000 patients were electrically dependent in some fashion, and HHS had provided that information to the various States.

Folks, the need is great. The need is great. To whom much is given, much is required. Never has there been a people in history given so much. This is one of those cases. This is one of those times where much is required.
Harvey brought on a downpour, but I will tell you that Texans and Americans and folks brought on an outpour, an outpouring like I had never seen. Our country has stepped up.

Our friends from Louisiana, the Cajun Navy, came over with over 100 boats and began to do things that amazed us. We called it ``Cajuneering.'' Unbelievable outpouring.

So, yes, I want to echo my colleague to the south, Blake Farenthold's plea: Please vote for this bill. It is time for us to step up. It is time for us to set politics aside. It is time for us to focus on the tragedy that is now called Harvey and may be soon to be called Irma. So I urge my colleagues to vote for this rule.

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