The last several years have brought repeated and devastating weather events to many areas of the country, testing the ability of local communities to respond, rebuild and recover.
Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. As always, I appreciate your leadership of this Subcommittee. I want to offer a warm welcome to Ranking Member Lowey, who is also with us today. I know that your part of the country-New York and New Jersey-was greatly affected by Superstorm Sandy. We have all seen the destruction caused by this catastrophic event and heard the personal stories of those affected in the news. We, too, in the region I represent also suffered greatly from Sandy and are still struggling to repair the damage; so I want to be brief in my remarks this afternoon so we can get to the business of learning about the Corps' work to address the immense needs of all areas hit by Superstorm Sandy.
Welcome, once again, Assistant Secretary Darcy, it is good to see you. General Walsh and Colonel Savre, we appreciate you taking the time to come before the Subcommittee this afternoon.
I believe in ordinary circumstances the Corps' work is critically important to our nation. In the case of disaster recovery, that role is even more crucial to the communities devastated by natural disasters. I look forward today to your update on the progress the Corps has made in addressing the impacts of Sandy.
The last several years have brought repeated and devastating weather events to many areas of the country, testing the ability of local communities to respond, rebuild and recover.
In light of the destruction caused by these natural disasters, the pain inflicted on Americans and the high cost of recovery and rebuilding, we must begin to address and adapt to changing weather patterns in order to avoid expensive recovery. Preventive investments, if made wisely, can significantly lessen the cost borne by the Government, and ultimately the taxpayer, to rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. We cannot continue to expose our communities to such significant vulnerabilities. We must, instead, begin to address long-term sustainability and economic health by building in a way that mitigates the gravest risks.
To this end, the Corps received more than $3 billion for construction to address the long-term sustainability of communities impacted by Sandy. Earlier this week, the Administration provided the first interim report to the Committee indicating how the Corps will approach this important task.
The report raises several questions regarding the Corps' approach to this funding, both in terms of what will be built and when it will be built. I hope you are prepared to speak in some detail regarding your plans for mitigating future damages. Specifically, I'd like to understand how you think these projects should be evaluated and by what metrics. Recognizing many plans for local reconstruction and recovery hinge on the Corps plans, I am also very interested in how quickly you believe we can bring certainly to the local communities.
Overall, the Corps received over $5 billion to respond to Superstorm Sandy. This is a significant sum of money, particularly in the current budgetary environment. While the bill provided the Corps ample discretion to prioritize projects, it is the distinct prerogative of this Committee to ensure taxpayers' dollars are spent in our best interest. Given the immensity of the storm and the wide geographical reach, we certainly expect such funds to be allocated equitably and judiciously.
I appreciate and value the Corps dedication to its mission, I know you will continue to bring that commitment to bear in the service of those whose lives were irreversibly and adversely impacted by Sandy.
I look forward to your testimony and thank the Chairman for the time.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
