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Relief For Hurricane Irene Victims

Volume
Volume 157 , Number 132
Pages
Pages H5977
Legislative Body
House
Date
Thu, Sept. 8, 2011

(Mr. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Rep. Peter Welch

legislator photo
Party
D
State
VT

Mr. Speaker, the scene to my right is a typical scene in Vermont. It's the result of the fury of Hurricane Irene. The damage to homeowners, to businesses, to the State infrastructure is immense.

This scene inflicted itself on 47 districts represented by Members of this House of Representatives. The fury of Irene was indiscriminate in who was on the receiving end of a very bad storm. That was an act of God. The relief will come as a result of an act of Congress.

Republicans represent Democrats in their districts; Democrats represent Republicans in our districts. We have a mutual responsibility to work together to get the tools back to those first responders, to those municipalities, to those volunteer firefighters who are doing the very hard work in each and every one of our districts to recover from Hurricane Irene.

Mr. Speaker, we had a meeting this morning of a coalition to fight for relief for Hurricane Irene. We're going to get the funds back to our first responders, to our municipalities and States, to our families so that they can get the job done.