Political Quotes

“A natural disaster exposes us to the worst of nature. Yet, in some powerful way, it brings out the best in people. Communities ban together. Neighbors help neighbors, and volunteers donate their time and energy all in an effort to rebuild. In the last decade, America has faced some of its worst natural disasters, with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and, more recently, Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In the aftermath of any disaster, it is imperative that the Federal Government programs operate as efficiently and effectively as possible so that victims are able to rebuild and return to their normal lives as soon as possible. Following Hurricane Sandy, there have been startling reports regarding the Small Business Administration's inability to properly administer the disaster loan program. The SBA was unwilling to implement and utilize preexisting statutory authority that would have assisted the agency in its response to Sandy. {time} 1615 Mr. Speaker, despite our living in the Internet era with smartphones, email, and apps, the SBA was shocked and surprised at the volume of electronic disaster assistance applications it received, and the systems were overwhelmed and unable to process applications. In a poor pun, the SBA's disaster loan program was a disaster itself for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The legislation before us, H.R.…”