On the recordSeptember 13, 2011
taking back my time, I am very pleased we are having another chance at this because--just for the information of the public--we fell short of the votes required to take up this emergency bill. I just looked up the meaning of ``emergency'' in the dictionary. It says: A serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate attention. That was Webster's dictionary--no, it was dictionary.com. They have the best definition, and I want to repeat it. An emergency is a serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action. That isn't a Democratic definition or a Republican definition or an Independent Party definition. That is what an emergency is. To anyone who says don't worry; if an emergency happens we can take care of it just from our existing funds, that is not true. Senator Landrieu is our leader in the Appropriations Committee, and what she told us in a meeting we just had a few minutes ago is that there is support in her committee to fund FEMA--the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They are the ones, as everyone knows, who gets out there. I will never forget the wonderful James Lee Witt who headed FEMA during the days of Bill Clinton. He was out there with Senator Feinstein and myself when we had earthquakes, floods, fires, and everything. There wasn't even a question. He knew we would rebuild. He knew he could make those commitments.…





