Congressman Steve King announced today that he has sent a letter to President Barack Obama to ask that he visit communities along the Missouri River that have been hardest hit by ongoing flooding. King's letter notes that President Obama will be traveling to Iowa on June 28th, and it requests that the President extend his trip to include stops in flood-ravaged communities along the Missouri River to gain a "firsthand understanding" of the flood's severity. King's letter to the President is signed by four additional Members of Congress, all of whom represent communities along the Missouri River.
"Since President Obama will be in eastern Iowa on June 28th, I think he should extend his trip so that he can travel to the western side of the state to visit communities along the Missouri River that are being ravaged by flooding," said King. "These communities are in need of federal recovery resources, and it is important that the President personally understand the severity of the flood-related damage so that he can better direct the federal government's response."
"It is also important for the President to visit these communities so that he can offer comfort and support to people who are losing their homes, businesses, and property to this flood. The rising water is redirecting the lives of thousands of people along the Missouri River, and they need to know that the President understands their plight. Should the President agree to this request, I will work with the other Members who signed this letter to do whatever is necessary to help facilitate his visit to these communities."
Congressman King's letter was delivered to the White House this afternoon. The text of the letter follows:
June 24, 2011
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President,
We learned today that you will be traveling to our nation's heartland next week in order to visit the Alcoa Davenport Works Factory in Bettendorf, Iowa. We appreciate the fact that you have chosen to travel to the midwest to discuss the challenges our economy is facing and the role that the manufacturing sector can play in helping to move us forward as a successful competitor in the 21st century global economy.
There is no doubt that economic concerns are high on Americans' minds at the moment. However, as the representatives of those who live along the Missouri River, we write you today to give voice to the grave concerns that have developed in these communities as a result of historic flooding along the Missouri. Since May 25th, flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries has forced hundreds of evacuations and has significantly impacted the levee system on the Missouri River Basin. To date, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has increased the water outflow at Gavin's Point near Yankton, South Dakota to a record rate of 160,000 cubic feet per second, more than twice the previous record outflow set in 1997. Although this level of water output from Gavins point has already forced the Missouri River out of its banks over 2 miles in some places in Iowa alone, the USACE plans to maintain this increased output into August and projects that this may push the river as much as 8 miles beyond its banks.
There is no doubt that this is indeed a historic flood. It has already caused severe damage to homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and farm land, and the continued release of unprecedented levels of water from Gavins point throughout the summer will certainly bring even more devastation in the near future. Given the severity of the Missouri River flooding, we ask that during your trip to Iowa on June 28th you make time in your schedule to visit the communities along the Missouri River that have been hardest hit by the rising waters in order to gain a firsthand understanding of the situation and to offer support and comfort to the individuals living there.
We stand ready to help in any way possible to facilitate this visit. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for assistance. Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE)
