On the recordSeptember 15, 2020
Mr. President, at the forbearance of my colleagues, if I can interpolate, if you will, and I will yield back. Thank you very much. As I speak, Hurricane Sally threatens the gulf coast, including parts of Louisiana. Our prayers are with those in the path of Sally. I just spoke with the Coast Guard admiral in charge, and the Coast Guard is ready should there be a need. But in the concern over Sally and other issues, we must remember the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, which made landfall August 27 in Cameron, LA, as a category 4-5 hurricane. In terms of wind speed, this is 150 miles an hour. A more powerful storm in that regard is Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, and others. As you might imagine, a storm of such magnitude left death, destruction, and pain from Southwest Louisiana into Texas to North Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. There were 25 people who died directly or indirectly because of Hurricane Laura, and hundreds of thousands of lives have been upended. As one example--one measure--as of yesterday, 145,000 people in Louisiana have filed for assistance with FEMA. That is expected to grow to roughly 2,800 people a day applying for assistance.…





