Skip to main content

Texas Delegation Letter to President Bush Regarding Hurricane Ike Federal Government Assistance

September 19, 2008

September 19, 2008

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Thank you for personally visiting the Texas Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. We appreciate the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to assist Texas residents recover from this catastrophic storm and begin the rebuilding process.

From early estimates, the cost of Hurricane Ike could reach tens of billions in damages. Fifty people are confirmed dead, and that number will likely rise. Thousands are homeless and hungry. Many communities remain underwater or are completely inaccessible due to the significant amount of debris. One week after landfall, 1.5 million Texans still lack electricity. Emergency workers are struggling to distribute food and water.

In sum, Hurricane Ike is the worst hurricane to hit the Texas Gulf Coast in almost 50 years, and is likely to be the fourth costliest hurricane of all-time. Galveston Island is uninhabitable, much of Bolivar Peninsula was wiped off the map, and the Cities of Orange and Port Arthur remain in ruins.

Due to the enormity of the destruction to the Texas Gulf Coast, as a result of Hurricanes Ike and Dolly, and other weather related events, we urge you to support our Texas delegation emergency supplemental appropriations requests. As House and Senate Appropriations Committees meet in the next 48 hours to finalize the Supplemental Appropriations bill and the Continuing Resolution, your vocal support of Texas’ request is critical to ensuring Texans receive much-needed aid.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina three years ago, the people of Texas opened their homes to hundreds of thousands of victims. Today, the people of Texas themselves are the victims of another great storm whose name will go down in infamy. The Federal Government must not turn its back on Texas in this time of need.

At this time of crisis, the people of Texas deserve our compassion. We hope you agree that Texans deserve the generous support that Congress and the Administration have provided to other hurricane victims in recent years, and we hope you will join us in supporting our emergency supplemental appropriations requests to bring these vital resources to our recovery efforts.

Thank you for your attention to this vital request.

Sincerely,

Members of the Texas Delegation