Tom Malinowski: “Today I rise to welcome the Mayors Council on Rahway River Watershed Flood Control to Washington. They represent towns…”

“Today I rise to welcome the Mayors Council on Rahway River Watershed Flood Control to Washington. They represent towns in and around New Jersey's Seventh District and are here to ask our help to stop the flooding that hurts thousands of people in our communities. For years, homeowners near the Rahway River have lived under the constant threat of flooding that devastates businesses and homes whenever there are heavy rains. The last major flood was in 2011, when Hurricane Irene ravaged the East Coast. The town of Cranford was the worst hit, with 1,600 homes sustaining damage worth $40 million. Our mayors have presented a proposed solution to the Army Corps of Engineers and are now asking for a feasibility study to be completed. This will get us one step closer to authorizing construction on the Rahway River Basin. Mr. Speaker, this is a solvable problem. We need to start now. I will do everything I can to support our mayors' call to action and expedite this process so that we do not have to be pulling people out of second- floor windows in suburban New Jersey, so people up and down the Rahway River can feel safe in their homes. ____________________”