Sheila Jackson Lee: “My previous amendment dealt with the Investigations account, which is the predecessor to the Construction account.…”

“My previous amendment dealt with the Investigations account, which is the predecessor to the Construction account. Before I begin the discussion, let me say that I took to the floor of the House in May, after the floods occurred in Houston, and had a moment of silence for the eight people who had died in those floods. Mr. Chair, this was not a hurricane, and it was not a tornado. It was hard rain that caused individuals in their cars to drown. It was very, very tragic. Some going to work, some nurses, some students who were drowning in their cars. This is what it looked like in my district. It looked the same way in 2015 and again in 2016. The Construction account, for which I want to thank Ms. Kaptur and Mr. Simpson, has $1.94 billion. I believe the Construction account is very important to Members across the Nation. Certainly, it is important to the Houston-Harris County region, with other counties around. As the Federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor flood and storm damage and shore protection, this is important construction money that will be vital to preventing this kind of catastrophe--first a study, then the construction. The areas that may be impacted by the Army Corps' resources include Sims Bayou, Greens Bayou, Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Hunting Bayou, and Clear Creek Bayou. These are the areas that spilt over and caused the enormous damage.…”