Political Quotes

“As a senior member of the Home and Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 1786, the ``National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014.'' I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, Houston is vulnerable to hurricanes that traverse the Gulf of Mexico and we have experienced powerful storms during the past decade. Hurricane Ike heavily impacted Houston and nearby city of Galveston in 2008, causing $27.8 billion in damage, and killing 20. Tropical storms in Texas are also known for being heavy rain producers as well as wind surge threats. For example, tropical storm Allison in 2001 dumped as much as 35 to 40 inches of rain, killing 41 people and causing $9 billion in damage. We are currently in the 2014 hurricane season and forecasters are expecting one to two major hurricanes. This bill amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise provisions governing the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) as well as designates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the entity with primary responsibility for Program planning and coordination.…”