OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Commending Flood Fighting Efforts in North Dakota And Minnesota

Floor Speech

By: Tim Walz
By: Tim Walz
Date: May 12, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Infrastructure


COMMENDING FLOOD FIGHTING EFFORTS IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA -- (House of Representatives - May 12, 2009)

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Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in the strongest support of H. Res. 415, a resolution to commend the heroic efforts of the people fighting the recent floods in North Dakota and Minnesota.

In October of 2007, the House passed H. Res. 657 to express sympathy for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred in the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. I spoke on the House floor then to commend our fellow citizens in the wake of Mother Nature's wrath, and to thank the men and women who serve this Nation as National Guardsmen, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and others, who put themselves in danger every day to protect us. These dedicated professionals were once again called in the wake of the Red River floods.

In April 2009, several counties in Minnesota were greatly affected by flooding along the Red River. The Red River flows between North Dakota and Minnesota. Flooding along the Red River, combined with extremely cold weather, caused severe ice damage. Flooding conditions along the river were the result of one of the wettest springs, where winter stream flows were 300 percent above normal.

Twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, all over this country, when any type of tragedy enters our lives, from a medical emergency facing a neighbor to a large-scale national disaster, terrorist attack, or other incident, our Nation's emergency responders and charitable organizations are the first on the scene to provide professional services, expert help, aid and comfort. These well-trained, highly skilled individuals are truly on the front lines in preparing for, responding to, and mitigating damages from a variety of hazards.

In addition to the heroic acts of neighbors and friends, we rise today to also acknowledge and praise the support of local businesses and many charitable organizations whose boundless generosity and caring are just one of the pillars of recovery on which we come to rely. I strongly support this resolution and urge its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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