WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor, imploring Congress to step up and help Vermont and states impacted by flooding and other natural disasters by passing a supplemental disaster aid package. He also shared the stories of Vermonters impacted by the July 2023 and July 2024 floods. Senator Welch has repeatedly called for the Senate to pass funding to support recovery and resiliency efforts for Vermont’s flood-impacted homeowners, businesses, farms and communities. This comes as Vermont faces more flash flooding this week and potentially historic rains tonight.
Watch Senator Welch’s remarks:
Key quotes from Sen. Welch’s speech:
Senator Welch: “I come to the Senate Floor tonight where Vermont is in crisis. I am asking my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle, in the Senate and the House of Representatives – for us to come together and approve the President’s supplemental disaster funding request. It will help Vermonters rebuild from heavy rains, flash flooding and mudslides that have brutally devastated our state. It will help other communities around the nation that have had their own weather events that have done so much harm to their communities.”
Senator Welch: “In the past month, I’ve been to Montpelier, Hardwick, Barnet, St. Johnsbury, Peacham, Lyndonville, to visit with homeowners, businesses, farms, and communities impacted by flooding…and these are small communities where folks on the Selectboard are also emergency responders and are also the health officer. They’re incredible at what they do…it’s amazing how resilient they are, but they can’t do it alone – they need our help.”
Senator Welch: “Federal funding is really, really, critical for Vermont. It’s not just Vermont, I know my colleague, Senator Schatz from Hawaii, who is the Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee, is working very hard because it’s his community. It’s Vermont. It’s Houston. It’s communities around the country that are being affected by these ‘Once in 100 Year’ weather events that are coming every year or every two years. It’s really happening.”
Senator Welch: “We can’t recover without that federal help. I just can’t stress this enough. We need Congress to step up. And we need the help of all of us here because well, it’s Vermont this time, it may be New Hampshire next time. It may be Texas next month. And I believe all of us have to help one another when an event occurs causing such harm to people we represent and it’s through no fault of their own. It’s disappointing to me, to say the least, that Congress is getting ready to go on a recess without having gotten this done. It’s my hope that getting disaster funding will be a top priority when we come back in September – Not just for Vermont, but for all of the communities around the country that need Congress to act. Vermont’s communities, and communities across the country are counting on us. I implore my colleagues, all of us, let’s do this – first order of business when we return in September.”
Video of Welch’s floor speech is available here.
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