Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring the voices of my constituents in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, to the floor of the people's House. In 2008, homes along the northern shore of Lake Koshkonong and within the surrounding community were absolutely devastated by a record- setting flood. This was a 500-year flood event. It is the same one that ravaged much of the upper Midwest and, in particular, Wisconsin and Iowa. During that storm, I knew that the damage was going to be devastating and that many of the houses in our community would be beyond repair. What I didn't know was that, almost 2 years after the floods, the agency upon which they relied would be leaving these hardworking Americans behind. You see, in February of this year, FEMA instituted what it calls ``immediate needs funding.'' Basically, they are freezing already approved funds to folks in Wisconsin and in other disaster areas across the country. A couple of weekends ago, I had the chance to visit with property owners from my district, of whom I have the privilege of representing, who have been affected. They are survivors of the 2008 floods. I wanted to hear their stories. Many brought photos and letters. They brought their own unique stories. They brought their anger and their frustrations. I met with Gene and Marie Harris at their home on Lamp Road, one of the most extensively damaged neighborhoods in this flood.…”