Sheila Jackson Lee: “To all of my colleagues and the American people, thanks so much for the outpouring of love from volunteers, first…”

“To all of my colleagues and the American people, thanks so much for the outpouring of love from volunteers, first responders, and so many rescuers that came to Hurricane Harvey. Let me thank my mayor, Mayor Turner; the county judge, Judge Emmett; all of the commissioners and council members. Let me thank, most of all, our first responders and all of those who sacrificed their lives; some who died, an officer who died. Let me thank the Marines, the Navy, the Army, and the Texas National Guard. Let me thank the people who suffered through and are still suffering through this disaster, the most significant historic natural disaster in the history of the United States. They are needing food and shelter still. They are needing the help of this great Congress. They are needing love and prayers, and I am prayerful that we will go together, walking together, and providing the money that these victims need. Let me give you a sad story. As I left Houston today, announcements were coming to those in apartments: You are evicted, with no place to go. Yes, the apartments were destroyed, but there is no place to go. We need a continuing effort to be able to help them. We need the EPA to inspect the various chemical plants, and we need FEMA to be staffed more, and to be able to address some of the funding needs that we have. The debris is unbelievable; maybe $200-plus billion, but all I can say is that the lives were lost, but we are still prayerful.…”