On the recordJune 18, 2019
I thank the gentlewoman for this opportunity. I rise today in support of the funding in this appropriations bill for flood and storm damage reduction in economically disadvantaged areas. Included in this bill, thank goodness, is $15 million for Army Corps of Engineers projects in communities that have previously experienced devastating floods and where the per capita income is less than half of the State and national averages. This type of funding, as we can tell, is critical for economically disadvantaged communities across our country to not only recover from, but prevent, destructive and deadly floods. One of these areas is the Pajaro Valley in my district on the central coast of California, an area where flooding has consistently hit it for the past 25 years and caused millions of dollars of damage to the surrounding agriculture crops. But it has also displaced hundreds and hundreds of residents, many of whom work in those fields. That is why this bill is very important, because it can provide important funding for projects that protect the people who need it the most, for businesses that need it the most, in my community and in communities all across this country. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this funding bill, and I thank Chairwoman Kaptur for this time.
