Eva M. Clayton: “it has been more than 8 months since my State, North Carolina, was struck by Hurricane Floyd, one of three hurricanes to…”

“it has been more than 8 months since my State, North Carolina, was struck by Hurricane Floyd, one of three hurricanes to hit our State in succession. And it has been more than 3 months since the House passed H.R. 3908, the emergency supplemental for this fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, we are beyond an emergency. In Eastern North Carolina we are now in a crisis. Title III of the bill includes $2.2 billion for assistance in the wake of the hurricanes. Those disaster relief provisions are urgently needed. States like North Carolina, hit hard by the hurricanes and flooding of last fall, critically need that support for their recovery and rebuilding efforts. North Carolina suffered the worst devastation in its history. The bill contains $77.4 million in additional funds for FEMA to be used for short-term emergency housing, home buyouts and relocation assistance; $42 million targets funds for USDA and $25 million in funds for HUD, to be used for long-term housing needs, new rural rental housing, rental assistance grants, mutual self-help housing grants and rural housing assistance grants; $33.3 million in funds for the SBA. The bill also contains $25.8 million in funds for EDA, to be used for vital economic recovery needs, disaster loans, planning assistance, public works grants and capitalization of revolving loan funds.”