Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the Natomas Basin Flood Protection Improvements Act of 2013. This legislation authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the flood control infrastructure in the Sacramento area. The improvements will safeguard hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. There is a pressing need to improve levees in Sacramento. The Army Corps perpetually cites the city as one of our nation's most at-risk for severe flooding. A quick review of the Corps' National Levee Database will tell you why. Of the nearly 300 miles of levees within 10 miles of Sacramento the Corps has deemed 94 miles of levees, or 32 percent, ``unacceptable.'' An unacceptable designation means the levee is deficient to the point where it does not provide the protection it is supposed to. The Corps has deemed 29 miles of levees, only 10 percent, ``minimally acceptable.'' The Corps has yet to even review the remaining 172 miles, 58 percent. None of the 300 miles of levees within 10 miles of Sacramento received the passing grade of ``acceptable.'' But even in this high-risk city, there are priority areas. And the Natomas basin, which lies between the American and Sacramento rivers, is the top priority for Sacramento flood control. More than 100,000 people in the Natomas flood plain are at high or moderate risk of flooding. The vast majority of these homes would be inundated with more than 10 feet of water should a levee break.…”