On the recordApril 26, 2016
In Houston, Harris County, and surrounding counties last week, eight of our fellow citizens lost their lives. I want to offer our thoughts and prayers on behalf of the families of German Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, Sunita Vikas, Malhara Singh, Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles Edward Odum, Suresh Kumar Talluri, and Teri White Rodriguez. They are all loving members of families, who now have lost their lives, and the families are saddened by their loss. In the course of this, I want to thank the first responders for their courageous efforts in, one, seeking to find these individuals, and also helping those who have been impacted by the flooding. The efforts of Houstonians who came to the aid of neighbors and strangers during the flooding saved more lives and provided comfort to those impacted. We offer a special thanks to the diverse religious communities that responded with generosity, by feeding and helping thousands of households left homeless. We are also very grateful for the presence and laudable work of the American Red Cross and, as well, the City of Houston and Harris County, the mayor and county judge, all who were participating in this effort along with other elected officials. When tragedy strikes, we come together, congressional persons, State persons, local elected officials, because we are Texans. It was very sad to lose this many people in a storm that was unexpected.…
