AUSTIN—U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA), today wrote Senate leadership requesting the U.S. Senate take up emergency supplemental appropriations to ensure a full recovery from Hurricane Laura’s destruction in Texas and Louisiana.
They wrote: “From initial reports, Hurricane Laura has caused tens of billions of dollars of damage. Understandably, the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters are depleting many of the accounts that fund disaster recovery. As it currently stands, without additional funding for these accounts, there may be insufficient funds to fully recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura.”
You can view the signed letter here, and full text is below.
September 4, 2020
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-230, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate
S-221. U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer,
In light of the destruction from Hurricane Laura, we write today to request the Senate consider emergency supplemental appropriations to ensure efficient and robust recovery operations in Louisiana and Texas. Hurricane Laura was one of the most powerful Hurricanes to ever develop in the Gulf of Mexico. As a Category 4 storm, winds higher than 170 miles per hour destroyed nearly every structure in Hurricane Laura’s path. In comparison, when Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive hurricane in U.S. history, made landfall in Louisiana in 2005, it was a Category 3 storm. Moreover, Hurricane Laura was so powerful that it carried to the Louisiana-Arkansas state line as a Category 1 storm causing damage 600 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Please know that our constituents are in need, and we stand ready to advance all disaster response legislation necessary to provide immediate relief and recovery assistance.
Due to the path of the storm, an abundance of COVID-19 caution, and current weather conditions, damage assessments are still ongoing. From initial reports, Hurricane Laura has caused tens of billions of dollars of damage. Understandably, the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters are depleting many of the accounts that fund disaster recovery. As it currently stands, without additional funding for these accounts, there may be insufficient funds to fully recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura.
While the media seems to have moved on from this disaster, our constituents have not. Families and businesses affected by the Hurricane must now contend with the difficulty of rebuilding their lives during a global pandemic. They warrant the Senate’s immediate attention and support during this critical time.
Thank you for your attention to our request. We look forward to working with you to ensure that this Hurricane recovery effort will not be delayed due to a lack of funding.
Sincerely,
/s/