Emergency Supplemental Appropriations For Hurricane Disasters Assistance Act, 2005

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HURRICANE DISASTERS ASSISTANCE ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - October 06, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 819 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 5212.

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Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to join with other Members of Congress in calling for humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean countries devastated by Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jean.

We all know that the southern United States and particularly Florida have been hurt badly by the worst series of hurricanes in decades and I pray for their continued strength and determination through these difficult times.

But, even as we help Florida, Alabama, and other states here in the United States struggle to recover from the devastation inflicted by successive hurricanes, we cannot be indifferent to the destruction the hurricanes delivered to a number of our Caribbean neighbors.

Ninety percent of the buildings on Grenada have been damaged. The Bahamas and Jamaica have been hit hard. The Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti have experienced flooding and mudslides. The hurricanes have robbed hundreds of people of their lives and tens of thousands of their livelihoods.

Two-thirds of the population of Grenada have been left homeless and it is estimated that millions will be needed to rebuild. Death tolls in Haiti are at the 3,000 marker.

While $50 million will begin to address the humanitarian and reconstruction needs, this is only a beginning. Hurricane Mitch in Honduras required $400 million. We can do at least as much for our neighbors.

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