WASHINGTON D.C. Today U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) urged President Obama to approve the State of Texas request for an emergency declaration and federal assistance for all 254 counties to assist with recovery efforts due to the extreme drought conditions and wildfires across the state.
The text of their letter to the President is below.
August 21 2009
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama:
We are writing in support of the State of Texass request for you to declare an emergency for Texas under the Emergency Protective Measures (Category B) of the Federal Emergency Management Administrations Public Assistance Program as well as assistance for all 254 counties with U.S. Department of Agricultures Emergency Farm Loan Program. As you may be aware since January 2009 the State of Texas has faced the threat of wildfires as a result of extreme drought conditions across the state.
The threat of wildfires has only become worse since the beginning of the year. To date 665100 Acres have been burned by over 13000 wildfires and a total of 383 homes have been lost this year due to wildfires in Texas. To further illustrate the hardship Texas is facing the Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists report the ongoing drought has caused farm and ranch losses to reach $3.6 billion. Unless farmers and ranchers receive significant rain fall the predictions for the rest of the year show losses will exceed $4.1 billion.
The State of Texas has made several requests for assistance however those requests have been denied. We urge you to expedite the consideration of this request as the declaration is critical to ensuring that important recovery assistance is made available to residents of Texas who have suffered from drought and wildfires. We appreciate your efforts underway to review Texas request in a timely manner and ask you give it due consideration. You may be certain that we will work with the Administration to aid the victims of this disaster.
Sincerely
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator
John Cornyn
United States Senator
WASHINGTON D.C. Today U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) urged President Obama to approve the State of Texas request for an emergency declaration and federal assistance for all 254 counties to assist with recovery efforts due to the extreme drought conditions and wildfires across the state.
The text of their letter to the President is below.
August 21 2009
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama:
We are writing in support of the State of Texass request for you to declare an emergency for Texas under the Emergency Protective Measures (Category B) of the Federal Emergency Management Administrations Public Assistance Program as well as assistance for all 254 counties with U.S. Department of Agricultures Emergency Farm Loan Program. As you may be aware since January 2009 the State of Texas has faced the threat of wildfires as a result of extreme drought conditions across the state.
The threat of wildfires has only become worse since the beginning of the year. To date 665100 Acres have been burned by over 13000 wildfires and a total of 383 homes have been lost this year due to wildfires in Texas. To further illustrate the hardship Texas is facing the Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists report the ongoing drought has caused farm and ranch losses to reach $3.6 billion. Unless farmers and ranchers receive significant rain fall the predictions for the rest of the year show losses will exceed $4.1 billion.
The State of Texas has made several requests for assistance however those requests have been denied. We urge you to expedite the consideration of this request as the declaration is critical to ensuring that important recovery assistance is made available to residents of Texas who have suffered from drought and wildfires. We appreciate your efforts underway to review Texas request in a timely manner and ask you give it due consideration. You may be certain that we will work with the Administration to aid the victims of this disaster.
Sincerely
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator
John Cornyn
United States Senator
