Letter to Barack Obama

Congress of the United States Washington, BC 20510

The Honorable Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, We are writing to urge that you request funds to help our state recover from the unprecedented flooding that affected Tennesseans in 52 counties from Memphis to Nashville. These funds would be included in your request for the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010. According to NOAA and the Corps of Engineers, the flooding in Tennessee was the result of a 1,000-year rainfall event. We thank you for already designating 42 of the 52 counties requested by our governor as eligible for disaster relief. We also appreciate the efforts of FEMA Director Fugate and his staff as well as that of Secretaries Napolitano, Locke, and Donovan and Small Business Administrator Mills all of whom have visited Tennessee during the last week. Tennesseans are helping themselves and their neighbors, but Tennessee will require federal assistance beyond what current emergency programs' funding can support. Because the Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up supplemental appropriations legislation that you have requested on Thursday, it is vital that a request for Tennessee flood relief come from the Office of Management and Budget as quickly as possible. Thank you for your consideration of this request for relief for Tennesseans suffering from the flood. Please contact our offices if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Lamar Alexander United States Senator Bob Corker United States Senator Bart Gordon Member of Congress Jim Cooper Member of Congress John Tanne Member of Congress Marsha Blackburn Member of Congress Lincoln Davis Member of Congress Steve Cohen Member of Congress John Duncan Member of Congress Zack Wamp Member of Congress Phil Roe Member of Congress cc: Peter Orzag,Director of the Office of Management and Budget Valarie Jarrett,Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs andPublic Engagement