Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 1491, the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act.

I am blessed to live in eastern North Carolina, which is all too familiar with the devastation caused by natural disasters. For coastal Carolina, it is not a question of if but rather a question of when a hurricane will hit my district. We stick out far in the ocean and have a big bull's-eye target on us.

We are still recovering from Hurricane Florence, which occurred in 2018. Despite being 7 years ago, there are still homes and businesses shuttered from the damage of that powerful hurricane.

It has now been 6 months since the Nation observed the decimation that Hurricane Helene wreaked upon western North Carolina. It has been one of the most devastating disasters in our Nation's history.

This historic storm led to catastrophic loss of life and property to our neighbors in the west. In just 18 hours, over 30 inches of rain came down in some areas, which surged downhill into rivers and valleys, causing close to $80 billion in damage and resulting in over 100 deaths. Entire towns and communities were completely destroyed and washed away.

It will take years, if not a decade, for western North Carolina to fully recover from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene. Since that time, while we have come a long way, western North Carolina is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene and will continue to feel the effects of that storm for years to come.

It is important that Congress provide as much relief as soon as possible to these victims.

H.R. 1491, the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act, has two important provisions that would not only help those impacted by Hurricane Helene but all disaster victims nationwide.

The first provision amends the lookback period to ensure victims of disasters have additional time to claim funds or credits that they previously missed out upon.

Additionally, H.R. 1491 contains another provision that would prevent disaster victims from receiving collection notices indicating that they owe the IRS funds despite a postponement of tax filing.

When someone suffers from a natural disaster, the last thing on their minds is their tax liability. They are trying to put a roof over their head and find food for their family and clothing for their children.

I cannot begin to describe the sheer physical and emotional damage that these people suffer.

In the case of Hurricane Helene, we saw thousands of homes and businesses literally washed out and wiped out overnight. Victims are still and will continue to process the trauma from that occurrence.

North Carolinians are resilient. It has been heartening to see the entire North Carolina delegation come together and provide support for those in the western part of the State.

Furthermore, the contributions of first responders, nonprofits, and concerned private citizens from all across the State have greatly improved response efforts. It may take years, but our neighbors in the west know they have the full backing of everyone in North Carolina as they continue to recover.

This is not a Republican issue nor a Democratic issue. It is an American issue. All of us are at risk of suffering from natural disasters. In these difficult times, we must come together as Americans to pass commonsense legislation like H.R. 1491 to ensure that victims of natural disasters are not burdened by our tax code.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, for his partnership on this critical issue, and I thank Chairman Smith for his support and efforts to help provide relief to disaster victims.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill so we can offer relief to all disaster victims, especially those in western North Carolina.

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