Political Quotes

“I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Maloney) for offering this motion to instruct and for his leadership on this most vital issue for the safety of the American people. I also want to commend the full committee chairman, Mr. Shuster, the ranking member of our subcommittee, Mr. Bishop, and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Gibbs, for their tremendous work on the underlying bill and for getting this to the point at which we are today. Madam Speaker, I am in strong support of the motion to instruct. This motion directs the conferees to recede to the Senate provision that includes the Dam Safety Act of 2013, which reauthorizes the Dam Safety program at reasonable levels. The Dam Safety program is about protecting lives. It is a critical program that provides much-needed education, training, and assistance to State dam safety officials. Dams protect our people, our homes, and our businesses from flooding. They provide essential drinking water, power to homes and businesses, critical irrigation for our Nation's food supply, and recreational opportunities for our citizens. West Virginians understand the importance of dams, the role they play in our daily lives, and the critical need to keep them safe. In 1972, a dam failure occurred at Buffalo Creek, West Virginia, claiming 125 lives and injuring 1,000 more, destroying over 500 homes and causing more than $400 million in property damage.…”