Disastrous Floods

Floor Speech

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, disastrous floods, horrific floods are devastating the lives of our residents in southeast Michigan and across the Nation.

The dangers don't stop when the flooding ends. Too many of our families are denied FEMA assistance because current rules and policies don't cover repairs and reconstruction for most basements where floods are the most destructive.

Without Federal assistance, Mr. Speaker, they are forced to live in extremely unsafe conditions, being exposed to serious health risks like mold and mildew and moisture damage.

One of my residents, a 90-year-old woman, had no hot water, a broken furnace, and toxic mold in her basement.

There are people recovering from disasters, and many of them are on a fixed income. They are seniors who cannot afford the thousands of dollars in repairs to their basement.

That is why I am proud to introduce the Fix Our Flooded Basements Act to make sure that Federal disaster assistance finally covers those costs.

We must make this change so that our residents, our constituents, live in a safe home after a flood. They need to be able to rebuild their lives from these disastrous floods.

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