On the recordMarch 24, 2010
I do want to thank Chairman Obey for his work on this important legislation. This bill is vital to ensuring FEMA can provide assistance to communities in all of our States that are recovering from major disasters. It is also critical to FEMA's ability to provide life-saving help to communities that might experience a major disaster in the future. In Iowa, we were devastated by the great flood of 2008. Eighty-five out of 99 counties were declared major disaster areas. My district alone had billions of dollars in damage and is still working to recover, including through an estimated $1 billion in FEMA projects. However, there is a current freeze on a multitude of FEMA projects nationwide. According to Iowa's governor, this has put work in jeopardy on $100 million worth of projects in Iowa alone. In fact, Coralville, Iowa, which was hard-hit by flooding, has received low bids on recovery projects but cannot commit because of this freeze. As a result, they may lose a bid that is 20 percent below what was estimated, which would actually save taxpayer money. The National Weather Service says there is an imminent widespread flood risk in the Midwest this spring. We must ensure FEMA has the resources needed to help our citizens who might be hit by flooding again, even as we pray that it won't be needed.
