Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019
Floor Speech
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Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for yielding, and I thank her and Ranking Member Granger for bringing this bill to the floor.
Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act for 2019.
Natural disasters across our Nation have been devastating the lives of millions of Americans. This map shows just some of the areas and families that have been stricken and have waited and waited and waited months for Federal support.
The Missouri and Mississippi River systems are absolutely clogged from the Canadian border all the way down to the mouth at New Orleans. The devastation is understood by Americans who watch the news.
We have waited months and months and months for Federal support. The failure of this body to act faster is shameful, so I welcome this moment this morning on behalf of all those who have been harmed.
It is the top responsibility of Congress to provide these hard-hit communities with strength, hope, and support to recover.
Imagine looking out your window and seeing this in your backyard. That has happened to thousands and thousands of families.
This supplemental will finally provide aid to these ailing people and communities damaged by hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic activities, tornadoes, floods, snowstorms, and wildfires.
From our energy and water accounts, $2 billion is provided to fix damaged Army Corps projects, with an additional $1.5 billion in Army Corps funding for the devastation wreaked by the flooding in the Midwest.
We are at a 125-year high in the amount of rainfall coming down between the Rockies and the Appalachians--a 125-year high in this country.
Many communities have been flooded like this one, but, also, we have very high water levels even in the Great Lakes region, where land is just soaked and farmers, business owners, and homeowners are so concerned about what is going to happen.
Many of these communities are still underwater, but here we provide an initial downpayment.
The bill also contains $775 million to accelerate projects to mitigate future disaster damages.
The bill comprehensively aids devastated communities with nutrition and Medicaid assistance, crop and livestock aid to farmers, and aid to upended rural populations.
It rebuilds devastated military and Coast Guard installations so our servicemembers can focus on protecting our national security. Imagine Camp Lejeune asking us for more help.
It funds resiliency of our Nation's drinking water, wastewater, and electrical grid systems, and provides communities help to rebuild businesses and local public infrastructure.
Importantly, it includes significant help to rebuild Puerto Rico, which suffered complete devastation from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This is deeply personal to my constituents, and to me. The President's refusal to recognize Puerto Ricans as the American citizens they are is unconscionable. The Senate Republicans back this position and find it reprehensible.
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