Political Quotes

“Madam President, hurricanes can be deadly. We are accustomed to them in Florida. They are part of our lifestyle. We know enough about hurricanes and the ferociousness and strength of Mother Nature to know that when a hurricane starts bearing down, you better be prepared, and that is especially so with regard to boats. Hurricanes cause giant-sized waves and strong winds that make it impossible to navigate a boat. So when the forecast calls for a hurricane, boats ought to get out of the way. Sadly, last year the El Faro, a cargo vessel that sailed from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico and back, along with its sister ship, sailed right into a hurricane off the Bahamas. As a result, the last call to shore, although the captain's voice was calm, was to report that they had lost power and were therefore listing, which meant that something had been breached and water was coming into the ship. That was the last we heard from the captain. We now know that that ship is 5 miles below the surface of the Atlantic, on the eastern side of the Bahama Islands. Thirty-three people lost their lives, most of whom were from the Jacksonville, FL, area. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation, and the question is whether or not they are going to put down another U.S. Navy submersible so they can continue their search for the recorder that would give them the complete data from the ship.…”