Senator Harkin Leads Delegation Push To Relieve Iowa Of Recovery's Financial Burden

Iowa Delegation joins Harkin in urging Bush to grant 60-day waiver for state matching funds for emergency protective measures and debris removal

June 17, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) was joined by Iowa’s Congressional Delegation in urging the President to waive for 60 days the percentage of matching funds the state must contribute to qualify for federal disaster assistance concerning emergency protective measures and debris removal. The current White House took similar action to aid Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina to lower the in-kind matching requirement for the period immediately following the hurricane.

“Iowans are a resilient and resourceful people, but – like with other national disasters of this magnitude – we are going to need generous federal assistance in order to get back on our feet. The destruction is so vast that it is simply beyond the capacity of local governments and the Iowa state government to handle by themselves,” said Harkin.

Continued Harkin, “Our state needs to have the local matching funds required for FEMA assistance reduced as much as possible and in the interim be waived. There is no conceivable way that a state with devastation on the scale that Senator Grassley and I witnessed this weekend can come up with a 25 percent match in order to trigger the customary FEMA assistance. I hope we can work with FEMA and President Bush to provide relief to Iowa as it begins wading through the recovery process.”

A radio actuality of part of Senator Harkin’s statement to the Senate floor yesterday is available through this link http://demradio.senate.gov/actualities/harkin/harkin080616_1.mp3 or by dialing 1-800-511-0763 and entering the following 4 digit pin number: 2684.

Text of the Delegation letter is below:

June 17, 2008

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

In the last week the State of Iowa has been a victim of tremendous devastation caused by epic flood waters. The Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa and other rivers overtopped their banks causing flooding that spread up to near the 500-year flood plain across our state.

The cost to individuals and businesses was impressed upon each of us in our tours of the state this past week. For several days we were joined on our tour by members of your administration, notably, FEMA Director R. David Paulison and OMB Director Jim Nussle. The immediate federal response has been quick and comprehensive.

Though flood waters have yet to fully recede in much of the state, it is clear that the catastrophic and widespread damage caused by these floods will have lasting effect on our state. In fact, as flood waters move farther south, we will see other communities affected. The financial impact of the flooding will exceed the impact from the 1993 Iowa flooding, which totaled $2.1 billion. Just yesterday the Des Moines Register reported that water has inflicted $750 million in damages in Cedar Rapids alone. In the wake of this flooding more than 38,000 Iowans have been displaced from their homes and Governor Culver has declared eighty-three counties disaster areas.

Yesterday Governor Culver wrote to you requesting a sixty day waiver of the twenty-five percent cost share for federal public assistance. As federal disaster assistance funding is distributed to the counties declared disaster areas, it is already obvious to us that the State and local governments will be unable to afford the twenty-five percent cost share required of FEMA public assistance grants. State and local resources have been stretched to the limit so far and in some cases city facilities are inaccessible due to flood waters. In light of the enormous damage Iowa has and will sustain, we write in support of Governor Culver’s request to completely waive the cost share requirement for FEMA public assistance concerning emergency protective measures and debris removal (categories A and B) for no less than the sixty days following June 11, 2008. At that point we expect that the state will be better able to evaluate its resources and whether it is able to support a share of the recovery costs.

As you are aware, there is substantial precedent for such a waiver. At numerous times in the past both your Administration and the previous one, in response to horrific natural disasters has seen fit to completely waive the twenty-five percent in kind matching requirement for a set period of time immediately following a major natural disaster. The most recent cost-share adjustment was made for Louisiana and Mississippi, when for sixteen months following Hurricane Katrina no cost share was required for federal public assistance. In addition, following Hurricanes Jeanne, Ivan, Frances and Charlie and for several severe storms in the late 1990’s any cost share has been waived for a period of at least 193 days.

We appreciate your prompt consideration of this request. It is essential that we work together to ensure Iowans have the support and resources necessary to clean up and rebuild following this flooding.

Sincerely,

Tom Harkin
United States Senator

Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator

Tom Latham
United States Representative

Leonard Boswell
United States Representative

Steve King
United States Representative

Bruce Braley
United States Representative

Dave Loebsack
United States Representative

Source: Senator Tom Harkin

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