Disaster Funding
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, in recent months, my home State of Kentucky has been hit by severe weather. Over half of our 120 counties have reported flood damage. Governor Bevin has placed the entire Commonwealth under a state of emergency and mobilized resources to help with recovery. Local, State, and Federal emergency officials have started assessing the flood damage. My staff and I are monitoring the progress to provide assistance wherever we can. I look forward to meeting with the Kentucky emergency management director later today to get the latest updates.
Unfortunately, my State is not alone--far from it. Many States are currently bearing heavy burdens in the wake of powerful natural disasters. Families in Florida and the Carolinas are still picking up the pieces from a damaging hurricane season. In Alabama and Georgia, recovery is just beginning after vicious tornadoes. The effects of serious flooding remain across the Southeast. In places in the Midwest, such as Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, many Americans are still waiting, praying, and working to mitigate the destruction from devastating flooding. Many communities are still literally under water.
I know right now the entire Senate is especially mindful of the destruction in America's heartland, so I am grateful for the efforts of several colleagues to bring forward a package of supplemental disaster relief funds to address the most urgent needs.
The legislation we are considering this week would help growers and producers with storm-related crop losses. It would help local infrastructure--from roads to schools and hospitals--resume full operation. It would help our Nation's military restore readiness at bases and installations that were caught in harm's way.
Thanks to Chairman Shelby, Senators Isakson, Perdue, Scott, Rubio, and others, we will have the opportunity to deliver critical resources to the communities facing the long road back to normal. I hope each of our colleagues will join me in supporting this measure, which will do just that.
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