The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“DISASTER ASSISTANCE BILL” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H3647-H3648 on June 10, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
DISASTER ASSISTANCE BILL
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Minge] is recognized for 5 minutes.
(Mr. MINGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, I represent the Second District of Minnesota. It is a district that contains almost the entire length of Minnesota River. Minnesota River flows through a broad valley. I think for many, it is known as the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. It is very productive, it is lush, and it is noted for the table vegetables that have been grown there over the past several decades.
In the valley there is a narrow river that winds back and forth and oxbows and normally is very placid. But occasionally it becomes a raging torrent. In 1997, this river carried more water than it ever has since the area was settled, over 100 years ago. The record water levels resulted in flooding in numerous communities, starting in Ortonville at the head of the river as it flows out of Big Stone Lake, required the evacuation of the community of Odessa. Tributaries flooded in Appleton, Dawson, MN. Montevideo, MN, my home community, was on the evening news for the first time in the history of the community repeatedly because of the efforts of the volunteers to try to stop the damage by sandbagging, building dikes.
Their efforts were successful except for one neighborhood which could not be saved and could not be diked. Downstream, Granite Falls built dikes. It was largely spared the ravages of the flood. North Redwood Falls was affected, however, and a few homes in the community known as New Ulm. This was all damage that was done, but fortunately we were spared the ravages of the communities on the Red River of the North.
People in my area felt quite fortunate, by comparison. The communities pulled together. Thousands of volunteers came from neighboring towns from the urban areas, and a real spirit of cooperation and goodwill prevailed. I can tell you that partisanship was certainly absent in this undertaking.
The people also were impressed with the activities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers, both of which had a very substantial presence, and the National Guard troops that were mobilized and came in. I held a series of informational meetings on the disaster programs that were being established, the ones that were in place. The FEMA officials, the Army Corps of Engineers, the State agencies, U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies all came and participated in these meetings.
It appeared that we would have a disaster assistance program that would both be effective in addressing the needs of the communities and the residents and would be promptly available. Unfortunately, as the days wore on, it also emerged that partisanship would be a part of the picture.
In an effort to pass legislation that the leadership in this body and the other side of the building knew would be unacceptable to the President, they begin to beat the drums about how important certain riders were. And unfortunately, I concluded that what was happening is that this disaster assistance bill was being hijacked for other purposes. Proposals that could not be passed separately would not be accepted by the President were being shoehorned into the disaster assistance bill in hopes that the President could be brow beaten or embarrassed into signing them.
Well, we know what happened. The President vetoed the legislation. I am not here this evening to say that we have to point fingers at the leadership in the House and the Senate or criticize the President. The fact of the matter is, all of us knew that this legislation as it left Congress was on a collision course with the White House.
It is very difficult for me to tell people at home that the political process is consumed with politics and that we cannot deliver the type of assistance that has become a consensus package for disaster assistance. It is awfully difficult for me to explain to people why it is that controversial riders have to be attached to this legislation. I cannot explain it. I voted for it. I wanted to see it passed. But it was unacceptable.
The previous speaker said the money is in the pipeline. Do not worry. I would just like to briefly point out that although FEMA is well funded, the community development block grant program for relocation assistance is hanging in abeyance. People in businesses do not know what level of relocation assistance will be available, whether it will be available. Precious construction days are slipping by.
Similarly, the livestock indemnity program is in limbo and a number of other programs are simply not being addressed. I would like to urge, I implore the leadership of Congress to promptly send to the President a clean bill so that we can provide the assistance that has been long promised and is badly needed by the victims of this flooding in the upper Midwest.
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