Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to speak about important funding in the supplemental appropriations act that will help my State of Rhode Island recover and rebuild from the recent devastating flood which left homes destroyed, businesses closed, and thousands and thousands out of work. The help in this bill is very important to us. Residents of our Ocean State were in a tough spot long before the rain started to fall. Our economy had been in severe recession for 28 months. Unemployment has remained over 12 percent, putting us in the top 5 States for unemployment for 12 months. Homelessness is on the rise. We are in the top 10 States for foreclosures, and our State budget is simply a disaster. The historic back-to-back floods in March hit an already hard-hit State. Rhode Island saw more rain during this disaster than any month on record ever, over 16 inches, with over 5 inches of rain falling on March 30 alone. The devastation wrought by these storms exceeds anything in living memory. Meteorologists who have reviewed it are calling this the most damaging storm to hit the Ocean State since 1815. It is too soon to estimate the full economic impact of the March flooding, but it is clear that the economic damage to Rhode Island will be prolonged and severe. The peak storms of March 30 and 31 brought commerce not only in Rhode Island but in the region to a halt.…”