Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today because last week my district experienced its second ``storm of the century'' in the last 3 years, its third since 2008. More than 7 inches of rain turned the streets of Hinsdale, Elmhurst, Franklin Park, and Albany Park into rivers. Clearly, we need to revisit our definition of the 100-year storm; because, while some may doubt the reality of climate change, it is a fact that stronger, more destructive storms are pounding our region with distressing regularity and resulting in huge costs. While some don't believe in climate change, I hope they believe in funding flood control. We owe it to our constituents. I spent most of this past weekend touring the flooded streets and basements throughout my district. Everywhere I went, I encountered residents who had lost their homes, their belongings, and their peace of mind. The residents I talked to wanted to know two things: What was their government going to do to help, and why was this happening again so soon after the horrific flooding of 2010? I told people that my office would do everything it could to bring Federal disaster relief to their homes and businesses; but, unfortunately, Federal help for big States can be an uphill fight. Aid is based, in part, on a population-based formula that penalizes larger States like Illinois. Big States have to suffer more damage before meeting the aid threshold. This process of rewarding aid is unfair, and we need to change it.…”