Sanford Bishop: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise to speak on behalf of the bill before us. Madam Chair, on…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise to speak on behalf of the bill before us. Madam Chair, on October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in the U.S., slammed into the Florida Panhandle, then directly into Georgia, and drove through much of the Southeast. It left a path of destruction all the way up to Virginia. My district, which spans middle and southwest Georgia, took a direct hit. Across the State of Georgia, small towns and rural communities were devastated, as were production agriculture and forestry. Agriculture is the largest industry in Georgia, driving one in seven jobs. Many producers suffered near 100 percent crop losses. Hurricane Michael destroyed some 97 chicken houses and killed more than 2 million chickens. It devastated the Georgia cotton crop, which was nearing peak harvest and was on track to be the best season in years. Unfortunately, this is all too familiar for the region. This is the third straight year hurricane damage has caused significant losses to the pecan, peanut, cotton, vegetable, forestry, landscaping, and agritourism industries. Less than a month before Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Florence crashed into the Carolinas, causing $22 billion in damage. The agricultural losses there are also overwhelming. Several lagoons responsible for containing animal waste were breached and are in drastic need of repair.…”