Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Florida for his kind words, and we share the same sentiments with regard to hurricanes, and we've both dealt with them. I appreciate his work as well and his leadership for the State of Florida. Madam Speaker, September 24 marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Rita's landfall in my southwest Louisiana district. This category 3 storm came ashore with wind speeds of more than 120 miles per hour and 115 feet of storm surge, causing an estimated $11.3 billion in damages, making it the third most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. Hurricane Rita caused widespread destruction to our communities, fragile working wetlands, and critical energy infrastructure in Vermilion, Cameron, and Calcasieu Parishes. On a personal note, I'd like to thank all of my colleagues who traveled to southwest Louisiana in the months after the storm to witness firsthand the devastation and to offer assistance. I also want to thank Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, and the committee staff, as well as the entire Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who all worked with our delegation to help address some of the problems we faced in this storm's aftermath. In the past 5 years, I've worked hard to ensure that Rita is not the forgotten storm and to further assist in the region's recovery and building.…”