Ted Poe: “The rain came down, the bayous and creeks rose, and the wind blew. It was as if it would never stop raining. It was…”

“The rain came down, the bayous and creeks rose, and the wind blew. It was as if it would never stop raining. It was Hurricane Harvey last September. After it was over, 55 inches of water had hammered the Houston area. But in the rainy haze, Officer Norbert Ramon appeared. But Officer Ramon, a 55-year-old officer of the Houston Police Department, was sick. He had stage IV colon cancer. He was undergoing treatment, and doctors said that he had only a few years to live. However, the 24-year veteran of the Houston Police Department jumped into the flooded aftermath of the hurricane despite his cancer. Officer Ramon sloshed through bacteria-filled waters, putting his own life at risk. Over the course of 4 days, he rescued 1,500 Houstonians stranded in the flood. He said: ``My main concern was to help the citizens. Nothing else was on my mind. I didn't worry about me or anything.'' As the waters receded and the Texas Sun came out through the blue sky, Mr. Speaker, Officer Ramon headed back to the hospital, returning to his treatments. Despite a hard-fought battle, Officer Ramon lost his fight against a cancerous invader. Taps sounded today, Mr. Speaker, as hundreds of peace officers and citizens of Houston honored the life of one of Houston's finest. Officer Norbert Ramon stood Houston strong. Mr. Speaker, they don't make `em like him anymore. And that is just the way it is. ____________________”