Senator Cornyn Addresses Texas Flooding, Ongoing Recovery Efforts

Anybody who's been watching the national news, and particularly the weather, knows that we've been having some serious flooding back home in Texas. And tragically, we lost nine soldiers at Fort Hood in a very unfortunate drowning incident as part of that.

I know I speak for a lot of people when I say my prayers and condolences are with the Fort Hood family and the families of these lost soldiers. I know from experience that the Fort Hood community is a resilient one, and unfortunately it has seen more than its fair share of tragedy in recent years. But I also known that the community there in Killeen, along with the entire state and nation, will continue to offer support for our men and women in uniform and particularly for those who have lost loved ones and for those who are recovering in the days ahead.

Amidst the sad news, I have been continually thankful, though, for the hard work and dedication of first responders who have devoted their lives to saving others. And it is at times like these, when they rise to the occasion, that I am particularly grateful for their service.

As you might expect, my staff and I are in close contact with local officials across the state of Texas in the more than 30 counties where Governor Abbott has declared a disaster, and we'll be working with the Governor as they prepare to assess the damage on the ground and determine what sort of federal resources are necessary to help the people rebuild. Should Governor Abbott request a formal federal declaration of disaster for the affected counties, I intend to do everything I can to help get such a request granted to make sure that these Texans have what they need to recover as quickly as possible.