Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricane Disasters Assistance Act, 2005

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

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Ms. WATERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of H.R. 5212, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides disaster relief for damage caused by hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, which caused widespread damage in several States of the United States as well as several Caribbean countries.

My colleagues, I would like to say that my heart goes out to all of the families and victims of these disasters, but I am very pleased that we live in a prosperous Nation where we can appropriate $11 billion to assist in recovery actions of Florida and other areas that were devastated. The recent hurricanes had devastating impacts on the entire Caribbean region. In Grenada, Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90 percent of all the homes, as well as numerous government buildings, hospitals, schools and churches. In Haiti, Hurricane Jeanne caused extensive flooding, killed over 3,000 people, with thousands more in desperate need of food, clean water, emergency shelter, and medical care. And stagnant waters have given rise to a large mosquito population that could lead to a malaria epidemic.

I could go on and tell you about Jamaica and St. Vincent and the other islands in the Caribbean. And I am thankful President Bush proposed $50 million in supplemental appropriations, and I understand, as of this evening, that has been raised to $100 million. We are indeed grateful that we can help our small neighboring countries in this way. But this cannot begin to meet the tremendous needs of thousands of affected people in Haiti and Grenada and other Caribbean nations.

I sent a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations requesting a supplemental appropriation of at least $500 million in disaster relief for the Caribbean. Sixteen Members of Congress signed my letter. That is all the time I had to get signatures. This Supplemental Appropriations Act does provide, again, $100 million for these nations, and I am grateful, but I would hope that, in conference, we could raise that to $500 million. It would go a long way in these very small countries and help them to deal with this terrible devastation they are experiencing.