Praising Ilwaco Community Resiliency

Floor Speech

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Ms. PEREZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today in praise of the resilience of my community in southwest Washington.

Last month, a fire broke out at one of two seafood processing facilities near the Port of Ilwaco in my district. In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire, the unity and support demonstrated by the Ilwaco community have been remarkable.

Whereas lesser men would have seen an opportunity for competitive advantage, these folks chose to stand together and see each other as neighbors, lending out crab pots to each other, which they didn't have to do.

I am incredibly grateful to come from a community that supports each other in the wake of a tragedy. Their community spirit is a competitive advantage that money cannot buy and natural disasters cannot shake.

I extend my thanks to the brave first responders who responded to the fire. Several of them were treated for heat exhaustion, a testament to their tireless effort in combating the blaze for hours.

I also recognize the folks in Ilwaco who stepped up to help local crabbers, dropping off sandwiches and shipping up crab pots from as far as California and Alaska.

Rebuilding and recovery will take time. They will never get back those hours of sleep, the heartache, or the monetary loss, but their moral fiber has been revealed in a way that is durable and will strengthen the community. It is its own reward.

Madam Speaker, I stand with them in their fight, and I am so grateful for their leadership.

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