Al Green

I think it is important for you to hear from us, and I appreciate greatly your outreach.

Dodd-Frank was necessary and, in my opinion, it has served us well.

I would like to visit with you, Mr. Secretary. You are where the buck will stop.

What this President has done to civility is unpardonable.

Where were you when the President of the United States of America said to members of the constabulary, police officers, you don't have to be so nice when you have a person within your care, custody, and control?

We have come a long way. But, my friends, we have a long way to go because you control what happens.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to, Mr. Administrator, I want to thank the EPA for a recent announcement of an agreement was brokered between International Paper and the McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corporation.

I would like to also, if I may, compliment Mr. Watt for his impeccable service, his stellar character.

I thank the IG for appearing and I'd also like to just briefly recognize the presence of a former member of the committee, Mr. Garrett.

I would in no way diminish the value of this hearing. I believe that it is an important hearing.

I know what invidious discrimination is like.

$500 million in Ike relief is still unspent. Will Texas do better after Harvey?

This is a Texas issue, it is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. I stand by that.

I would like to stay engaged in this process with the NAACP.

Block by Block continues, and as we get into our system of understanding the people and the process, we can make changes within our community.

It is very important that we understand that we cannot drop the neighbor by neighbor process because the hurricane is over.

In this report that I would add that the NAACP identifies problems with the system.

I did make the point earlier, but 50 percent of my entire budget is public safety, and 72 percent of my budget is personnel costs.

I think if we do nothing else, I think those operation centers that we opened up where people went and made application for reimbursement, ask them what the biggest reasons were that they were turned down.

Now, you made commentary about the shelters that you opened, but I think you should say a bit more about those shelters because I was there to see you in those shelters helping people.

Yes, I was homeless.

I am grateful to you.

$311 million spent to save billions makes a lot of sense.

NFIP has to be shored up, and that is a Congressional responsibility.

This really is a time for us to spend a lot of money on prevention.