Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to victims of recent floods and natural disasters, but I also fear that we suffer from the old adage, ``Out of sight, out of mind.'' Once the cameras are packed away and the news crews leave for their next breaking story, what happens to the victims and the survivors of our natural disasters? You know, one would hope that the system of emergency response would keep on plugging away and assisting the families in need across this country. But sometimes, unfortunately, that system breaks down. Madam 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 the surrounding community were absolutely devastated by a record-setting flood. This was a 500-year flood that ravaged much of the 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. But what I didn't know was that after nearly 2 years after the floods, our government would be leaving those 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.…”