Byron Dorgan: “I rise to comment briefly on my flood relief amendment, which is now pending to the defense appropriations bill. As my…”

“I rise to comment briefly on my flood relief amendment, which is now pending to the defense appropriations bill. As my colleagues know, this spring the Red River Valley suffered its worst flooding in recorded history. Personnel at Grand Forks Air Force Base pitched in to fight the flooding that everyone knew would come-- they helped operate ``Sandbag Central'' to enable volunteers to go to the front lines on the dikes. When the water finally won, a 500-year flood emptied Grand Forks, ND, a city of 50,000 people, and sent 4,000 residents to the Grand Forks Air Force Base for shelter. Many of my colleagues saw on television the base hangar that was converted to a shelter and that provided refuge for those citizens. What my colleagues may not know is that many of the base personnel who fought the flood for weeks were themselves victims of the flood when it came. Over 700 military personnel were forced to evacuate during this disaster. And 406 servicemembers have suffered losses to personal property, including 95 families whose homes were inside the diked area near the Red River and were extensively damaged. However, without the flood relief authority my amendment would provide, these servicemembers will be victims of unintended discrimination.”