Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 5863, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023.

In a historic act, last week, a majority of the House of Representatives made clear that the House should act to provide tax relief to victims of natural disasters all across America. I thank every Member who stood with me in this fight, and I am thankful that this bill is finally being debated on the floor.

On September 28, 2022, southwest Florida was ravaged by Hurricane Ian, one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit our Nation. NOAA ranks Hurricane Ian as the third most costly hurricane in United States history, killing nearly 150 people and causing billions of dollars in damages. For Floridians, we know that the recovery from Hurricane Ian is far from over.

Despite experiencing numerous hurricanes yearly, Floridians are resilient. I have been working tirelessly on disaster relief legislation for Floridians to recover from various storms that have decimated so many communities around our State. The most recurring and pressing issue I hear in my district is that the sun coast is still waiting for Congress to do its job to provide much-needed relief.

More than a year-and-a-half after landfall of Hurricane Ian, Congress has yet to provide disaster relief for those impacted financially by Ian. I have received thousands of letters, calls, and pleas for help from people in my district who have incurred tens of thousands of dollars in recovery expenses and are having a hard time getting ahead.

On eight separate occasions since 2002, Congress has provided tax relief to victims of natural disasters. Since 2021, over 300 disasters across 47 States have been declared without Congress taking action.

Additionally, wildfires across the Western United States and Maui have greatly impacted many Americans who have not received any relief from this body. Similarly, the victims of the East Palestine train derailment are facing the same situation.

This bill helps everyday Americans and provides them the ability to deduct their expenses from a natural disaster from their taxes.

This bill will not just aid Hurricane Ian victims. It will provide relief to the millions of Americans around the country who are victims of federally declared disasters. It will help victims of flooding in the Midwest. In the Pacific Northwest, victims of wildfires will get the relief they deserve. Those affected by severe winter storms in the Northeast will benefit from this tax deduction, as will our friends in Texas who have experienced damage from a wide variety of disasters, including winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, and fires.

In short, this is not a problem that just affects Florida or California. This impacts millions of American families, and Congress must act to provide them relief.

I am grateful to be supported by many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to lead the fight for Americans all across the country to get disaster relief. Disaster relief is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem. It is something that all of us face.

I give sincere thanks to Members and staff who have worked tirelessly on this bill. I give special thanks to California Congressmen Mike Thompson, Jimmy Panetta, and Doug LaMalfa, as well as Congresswoman Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, for their leadership on this effort.

I also thank former Congressman Bill Johnson, who represented East Palestine, Ohio, and played an important role with this bill.

I give special thanks to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith for passing this bill out of the committee.

The constituents of my district and the districts each of these colleagues represents are in need of help. Today, I urge swift passage of this bill on the House floor and urge expeditious consideration in the Senate so that Americans all across America can get much-needed relief.

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