Political Quotes

“for decades the Quileute Tribe in the Pacific Northwest has waited for a chance to move out of the tsunami zone they are in and to safety. Every day 80 students go to a school in a schoolhouse that is just 1 foot above sea level, and every day they look directly out the window at the roaring waves of the powerful ocean and wonder when they can move to safer, higher ground. When the tragic tsunami hit Japan last March and when a recent earthquake in just the last few weeks hit off Vancouver Island, it sent another urgent message, a wake-up call to hurry to get this legislation passed through Congress. The Department of the Interior, which endorsed this legislation, said the tsunami ``clearly demonstrates the risk for the tribe and its citizens, and the need to move housing and infrastructure inland.'' Now, with the 1-year anniversary of this tragedy less than 1 month away, we have finally done our job. With the passage of this bill tonight, the Quileute Tribe can finally begin to move out of the flood zone. I thank Congressman Norm Dicks for his help in making this a reality. The Quileute Tribe has been struggling with the natural perils of this land since their reservation was created in 1889. The river that runs through the reservation has been moving constantly over the last century, causing more erosion and flooding problems.…”