FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Convenes “Team Texas” to Coordinate Federal Funding for Hurricane Ike Recovery before Congress Adjourns
Texas Delegation Will Work to Secure Disaster Recovery Funding in the C.R. This Month
WASHINGTON, DC - At a Capitol Hill press conference today U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R–TX), Texas’ senior Senator, joined with seven members of the Texas Congressional delegation to coordinate their joint efforts to secure federal funding for the recovery from Hurricane Ike before the end of September.
Sen. Hutchison was joined by Representatives Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Al Green (D-TX), and Gene Green (D-TX), whose districts were directly impacted by the hurricane. Also in attendance were Texas Congressmen Chet Edwards (D-TX), Kay Granger (R-TX), John Carter (R-TX), and Ciro Rodriquez (D-TX), all of whom serve on the House Appropriations Committee. All the members of Congress stressed their resolve in delivering federal funding for recovery efforts from Hurricane Ike before Congress adjourns for the election season.
“I have just come from Galveston and Houston and the whole area that has been devastated by this storm,” said Sen. Hutchison. “The damage is going to be enormous. The damage to the navigation equipment, the ports in Galveston and Houston, all throughout the Gulf Coast, will be out of commission for probably a couple of weeks if we’re lucky. We have oil refineries down. Galveston not only doesn’t have power, it doesn’t have potable water or operating sewer facilities either.
“Our Texas delegation has already come together today to start planning for the supplemental that will be needed to help us through Ike. We are here working on a package that we will all support that will help this disaster recovery for our great state. All of us here signed a letter to the President yesterday asking him to extend the hundred percent reimbursement for debris removal. It had been in place for 72 hours and he has extended that to two weeks. That is going to be very helpful to the areas affected, knowing that they will be able to get reimbursement for extra costs of removing trees from the streets, boats from the causeway and all through Galveston, and also taking the trees off power lines. The key is getting power back to the 2 million residents who still don’t have it.”
Sen. Hutchison noted that Texans could contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or visiting http://www.FEMAEvacHotels.com.
Sen. Hutchison, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also indicated that she would work to attach disaster funding for Hurricane Ike recovery to the Continuing Resolution (C.R.). The C.R. is a broad spending measure that will be considered on the Senate floor this working session. Damage assessments are starting to come in from the state and federal agencies who are conducting them.
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