Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we have seen flooding of historic proportion in North Dakota this year, and, as you know, other States have also sustained severe damages from hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and a range of natural disasters. In Minot, my hometown, friends and neighbors were forced to evacuate their homes and live day- to-day in makeshift accommodations. Some are not yet in temporary FEMA housing as winter approaches. Almost as severe as the impact of the floodwaters, however, is the anxiety of not knowing when and how much help is forthcoming from the federal government. The State of North Dakota, local communities, and the Federal Government are already providing extensive assistance, but uncertainty over housing and infrastructure persists in the aftermath of this disaster. We took an important step forward in the Appropriations Committee 6 weeks ago when we approved $400 million in supplemental CDBG funding, which goes directly to help with housing for people who have lost their homes. We are grateful to the subcommittee for approving that appropriation, but I am here to tell you there is more to be done. We look forward to working with subcommittee Chairwoman Murray and Ranking Member Collins to ensure that we do all we can to maximize CDBG assistance to those in need, not just in North Dakota, but across the Nation.”