Prepared Remarks by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Member, Senate Budget Committee
Proposal of Budget Amendments for Disaster Response
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri are experiencing historic flooding. In Iowa, two-thirds of our 99 counties have been impacted. The State of Iowa estimated damages across our state to be $1-and-six-tenths billion dollars. The damages estimated for agriculture is $214 million dollars. Damages to homes is $481 million dollars. Levee repair estimates are $525 million dollars. That is just the beginning. Those numbers are likely to rise.
These damages have extended beyond the capabilities of local and state government. However, Governor Reynolds and the State of Iowa are stepping up to the plate to find solutions.
One of my amendments is for a Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund to provide for increased cooperation by federal government departments and agencies and state governments as they relate to disaster response, recovery, and mitigation. The federal government should use Midwestern common sense in working to find solutions with state partners in flood response, recovery and mitigation.
For instance, the current system has the federal government throwing away money instead of fixing the problem. We waste a lot of time, effort, and money in building and tearing down temporary flood fighting structures using FEMA disaster funds, when if we pool resources from different agencies and levels of government, we could spend money once on a permanent solution to the problem. That wat will ultimately save taxpayer dollars while protecting the home and livelihoods of those living along the river.
I urge all of the departments and agencies to be flexible and work with state partners to find permanent solutions to disaster mitigation. Let’s spend the money once and do it properly.
Breached, overtopped, or compromised levees span hundreds of miles on the Missouri River in the states of Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. It took a long time for these communities to recover from the catastrophic flooding that took place eight years ago. However, this year is worse.
Iowans, especially those who live along the Missouri River, want and deserve answers. Southwest Iowa communities have raised grave concerns about an unresponsive Corps, specifically about the lack of communication, river dredging and water releases. I too share many of these concerns.
For years I’ve worked with several of my Midwestern colleagues along the Missouri River to make flood control the number one priority for the Corps. It seems to me that misguided decisions and misplaced priorities have eclipsed common sense. Protection of life and property should take precedence over recreation and experiments that may or may not help endangered species and the other five purposes identified in the Missouri River Master Manual.
I have another amendment for a Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund that would increase the focus on flood control for operations of the Missouri River. The number one priority of the Corps for operations on the Missouri River should be flood control. Period.
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