Eni Faleomavaega: “Mr. Speaker, this certainly has been a tragic crisis in Southeast Asia, and I do not know if my colleagues know that I…”

“Mr. Speaker, this certainly has been a tragic crisis in Southeast Asia, and I do not know if my colleagues know that I am probably one of the few Members who has ever personally experienced what it means to go through a tidal wave and so sad to hear from the media reports and learning in some parts of this region when the reefs and the beaches are sucked into the ocean and the water recedes some 300 yards from the reefs and the children and people not knowing the nature, that this is how a tidal wave comes about. And then, the children playing and the fish flopping all over the place thinking this is a blessing from God, and then knowing that they should be running in the opposite direction when the tidal wave hits. This is really a sad situation. Mr. Speaker, what I really wanted to address and share with my colleagues is a certain criticism that has been brought not only to the world community, but to our Nation, suggesting that our country has been stingy in giving assistance to those who are in need. Nothing could be further from the truth.”