Sheila Jackson Lee: “I am reading a headline that says that experts say it could take Houston years to fully recover from Hurricane Harvey.…”

“I am reading a headline that says that experts say it could take Houston years to fully recover from Hurricane Harvey. This is not because my local leaders, mayors, county judges, and Governors are not working as hard as they can, but it is the most significant, singular, and devastating costly flood in the continental United States history. Certainly, we are praying that Hurricane Irma detours away from those places that it has not yet hit. We certainly pray for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the other Caribbean islands, and certainly our friends in Florida and up the East Coast. But right now we have that unlikely and unappreciated position of having the most devastating flood. So my amendment has to do with State and local funds being part of designing their own reconstruction, their own projects, their own capital projects. Specifically, my amendment says that none of the funds made available by this act under the heading Federal Transit Administration--Transit Formula Grants may be used in contravention of section 5309 of title 49, United States Code. The identical amendment was offered in the Jackson Lee amendment to H.R. 2577 and received a positive voice vote. In particular, this amendment affirms the importance to the Nation of projects that create economic development, particularly in the transportation area. Pursuant to section 5309 of title 49, the Secretary of Transportation may make grants under this section to State and local governments.”