Extending Condolences To Victims Of Georgia Floods

Floor Speech

Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Thank you so much, Chairman Oberstar, and thank you for your graciousness, Madam Speaker, and your offer of help and condolences that you have extended to each member of our Georgia delegation and to all the people of Georgia. We thank you for your concern, and yours, Mr. Chairman.

I certainly rise with a heavy heart. This is an extraordinarily challenging time for the people of my State of Georgia and certainly for people in my congressional district, for, Mr. Speaker, of the nine persons that have lost their lives so far, six of them have come from my district, and, as a matter of fact, six have come from one county, and that is Douglas County. So our hearts and our prayers go out for all of these families.

Rest assured that this Congress has their thoughts and their needs deep in our bosom at this time of great sacrifice and of great hurt and pain. It is important for the people of Georgia to know that we in Congress are moving swiftly in concert with our President to make sure that this gets the signature of a statement of national emergency and a declaration of emergency, because until that happens, we will not be able to get the funds that are needed.

That is what is of utmost importance now. There are people without homes. There are people without homes without any flood insurance, which means that that would be on their backs to pay for, which many do not have. The estimate of damage is over $300 million as we speak and continues to grow. So we need to move with all swiftness, with all quick dispatch, to get this Federal aid down and to make sure that the people, particularly in those areas that were hit throughout Metro Atlanta, but also in the areas of Cobb County in my district.

We have been in touch with our county commissions in those areas, with Tom Wortham in Douglas County and the mayor of Douglasville, Mayor Mickey Thompson, who are working feverishly to make sure that they are responding to the needs of our citizens.

So, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman, all the Members of the Congress, we certainly appreciate the condolences, and we appreciate the care and the sincerity that this Congress is expressing to the people of Georgia, and we assure the people of Georgia that we will get the help down to them quickly.

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