Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1786, legislation that would reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, or NWIRP. As an Illinoisan, I know firsthand that windstorms are a threat to American lives and the economy. Last November, Illinois was struck by 24 tornadoes on one day, resulting in seven fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and significant economic damage. While we cannot stop a hurricane or tornado from happening, there is much we can do to save both lives and property when windstorms and other natural disasters happen. In addition to responding quickly and with sufficient resources in the aftermath of a natural disaster, we must also invest in preparedness and resilience. Studies of FEMA's predisaster mitigation program have shown that for every dollar we invest in mitigation activities, we save $3 to $4 in recovery costs. {time} 1530 NWIRP is primarily a mitigation program. It has the potential to lessen the loss of life and economic damage by supporting research and development on windstorms and their impacts and helping to ensure that this research is translated into improved building codes and emergency plans. But NWIRP needs investments to reach that potential. I was pleased that when this bill was considered in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, we worked in a bipartisan manner to make several improvements to this bill. I want to thank my colleagues, Chairman Smith and Mr.…”