Dennis Moore: “with today's passage of the fiscal year 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill I am pleased to acknowledge…”

“with today's passage of the fiscal year 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill I am pleased to acknowledge the inclusion, in this important legislation, of funding to begin the implementation of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program. In 2004, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act, legislation championed by Rep. Randy Neugebauer and myself, became law. On its road to passage, H.R. 2608 (P.L. 108-360) enjoyed widespread support in both the House and the Senate. The enactment of this legislation established the interagency National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) to improve windstorm impact assessment and streamline the implementation of federal mitigation efforts to minimize loss of life and property due to severe windstorms like hurricanes and tornados. All states and regions of the United States are vulnerable to windstorms, and we all share in the cost of repairing the several billion dollars in economic damage caused each year by these storms. Vulnerabilities also continue to grow as our communities grow, but improved windstorm impact measures have the potential to substantially reduce future losses.”