BEAUMONT, TX – October 7, 2008 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today participated in a roundtable meeting with Southeast Texas leaders to discuss the status of ongoing efforts to help Hurricane Ike victims recover and rebuild. Sen. Cornyn was joined by county judges from Jefferson, Hardin, and Chambers counties. He was also joined by FEMA Regional Administrator Bill Peterson, FEMA Southeast Texas Area Field Office Director Bob Bennett, and senior representatives from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. At the meeting, Sen. Cornyn announced he and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison have sent a letter to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison urging him to swiftly resolve the delays in delivering adequate temporary housing options to hurricane victims in East and Southeast Texas. Their letter also called on the Administration to honor Governor Rick Perry’s request for a 60-day extension of the 100 percent reimbursement for debris removal. A copy of the letter is attached.
“I welcomed the opportunity to meet directly today with the leaders of some of the regions hit hardest by Hurricane Ike. It’s been just over three weeks since this storm delivered a devastating blow to East and Southeast Texas. Many residents have been able to return home and many businesses have re-opened. But there is much work to be done to ensure that all Texans who were impacted by Ike can get back onto their feet and resume their normal daily lives,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I assured the local leaders that I am committed to doing everything I can to speed up recovery efforts. Just yesterday, I sent a letter with Sen. Hutchison to FEMA Administrator Paulison, calling on him to expedite the delivery of critically needed temporary housing units for Texans who remain displaced. We also reiterated the need to honor Governor Perry’s request for a 60-day extension of the 100 percent reimbursement for debris removal.
“I was glad to hear from all these important regional leaders regarding the ongoing efforts to rebuild battered communities. I have been impressed with the preparation and response efforts on the local, state and federal level – from mayors and county judges to Administration officials. But I also recognize that we have a long way to go to return stability to the neighborhoods and families left devastated by the storm.
“I have worked with other members of the Texas Congressional delegation to secure much-needed recovery assistance. While we’ve had success in securing a significant amount of funding and tax relief measures that will directly help hurricane victims recover, I’m still pushing for additional relief, especially in regards to temporary housing and clean-up reimbursements. ”
Background:
Sen. Cornyn has been in close contact with local leaders in the impacted areas, as well as Governor Rick Perry, state and FEMA officials, and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. In the days leading up to Hurricane Ike’s arrival, Sen. Cornyn urged the President to honor Governor Perry’s advance request for an emergency declaration in close to 100 Texas counties. Following the storm, Sen. Cornyn visited the impacted areas, including Beaumont, Galveston and Houston, on several visits with Sec. Chertoff, President Bush and members of the Texas Congressional delegation to assess firsthand the level of damage and need for assistance in rebuilding.
Sen. Cornyn also worked to secure additional relief for Texas Ike victims in a Senate bill aimed at extending several tax relief measures. Originally, the tax relief package treated Texas disparately with regard to flood relief for Midwestern states. Sen. Cornyn worked with Senate leadership to negotiate the inclusion of two major tax provisions, tax-exempt bonds and a low-income housing tax credit, that will directly help Ike victims rebuild their homes and businesses.
On September 19, Sen. Cornyn joined Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and 28 Texas members of the U.S. House of Representatives in writing to President Bush, urging him to support the emergency supplemental appropriations request for critical hurricane recovery funding. On October 1, President Bush signed into law a Continuing Resolution that includes an additional $23 billion for disaster funding. All federally declared disasters from 2008, including Hurricanes Dolly and Ike, are eligible for this emergency funding.
Most recently, he called on President Bush to reimburse FEMA-eligible expenses at a rate of 100 percent, although FEMA typically only reimburses 75 percent of eligible costs. He also called on FEMA to quickly resolve issues holding up the deployment of temporary housing options (including mobile homes and travel and park trailers) to areas without adequate housing stocks. On Friday he spoke to FEMA Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson personally to help expedite these requests.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.
