Sheila Jackson Lee: “First of all, I want to urgently have set up an appeal process on an expedited basis for my constituents and those…”

“First of all, I want to urgently have set up an appeal process on an expedited basis for my constituents and those across the disaster-impacted areas of a FEMA denial appeal system. Thousands of my constituents have been denied FEMA assistance. Pictures just came to my phone last evening, and I am urging the FEMA Director and all who can do so, including the President, we are not a 10. We are in desperate need of help. People do not have their lives restored. I also want to make mention of the fact that today there will be some statement made on this horrific opioid crisis, which we as Members of Congress have been dealing with for over a year. We understand that this may be called a public health service emergency versus a catastrophic emergency, using the Public Service Act or the Stafford Act. The Stafford Act funds are almost completely diminished because of wildfires and hurricanes. The casualties of opioid abuse are 142 per day, which is like an airplane crash every single day. With this amazing and unbelievable budget that has been passed, the Halloween budget of 2017, there will be trillions of dollars cut away from the budget. It is imperative that the President call this an emergency and begin to use emergency funds to deal with the opioid crisis. The only thing you can say today, Mr. Trump, is that you are committed to an emergency both for Hurricane disasters and others, but as well as the opioid crisis. Mr.…”