Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. National Defense

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act which I have submitted as an amendment No. 448 to the National Defense Authorization Act.

This amendment would permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program which provides States, Tribes, and communities with flexible, long-term recovery resources needed to rebuild affordable housing and infrastructure after a disaster.

The amendment also provides important safeguards and tools to help ensure that Federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest income and most marginalized survivors who are often hardest hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.

The amendment also provides important safeguards and tools to help ensure that Federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households in the future, including the lowest income and most marginalized survivors.

These measures would help to prevent the repetition of what happened in Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey where more than 4 years after the disaster, relief funds that were appropriated by Congress have not filtered down to the hands of people who need them.

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Garcia).

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for my dear colleague and friend. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. I understand the rules of the State and the people. But he and I have a difference of opinion about which committee should have jurisdiction.

I sit on the Financial Services Committee. HUD has jurisdiction. He sits on Transportation. He wants jurisdiction. He is not going to get it.
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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this bill requires the Secretary of HUD to develop a formula to allocate assistance to the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a catastrophe or a major disaster. This bill requires HUD to balance the use of Federal recovery funds between rebuilding infrastructure and housing, ensuring that funds are spent proportionally between homeowners and renters unless the Secretary determines there is a compelling need to do otherwise.

This bill requires HUD to ensure that States prioritize the activities that help extremely low- and moderate-income survivors recover, address pre- and post-disaster housing needs, and prepare for future disasters.

This is the bill that is on the floor. The wish list is not.

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