Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, issued this statement following her visit to the Bahamas to survey the damage following Hurricane Dorian:

“I am heartbroken to view the indiscriminate destruction and what remains of the Bahamas, after Hurricane Dorian tore through the island chain. Now, a month after the calamity, the affected area is no closer to rehabilitation than it was at the beginning of September. When Dorian made landfall, it did so as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185mph. After two days, and the storm had proceeded north, Dorian left in its wake a broad swath of destruction. Dorian caused $9 billion dollars in damage, and killed scores of people, with many hundreds still missing.

“As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and a member of that committee since its inception, I have worked through the years to assist hard-hit communities recover from calamities and disasters of all kinds and degrees. This experience has afforded me a unique perspective, as I survey the enormous damage and destruction left in the wake of Dorian. As the richest and most powerful neighbor to the Bahamas, and as a senior member of the United States Congress, I am in the Bahamas to join with colleagues and ensure that the United States has furnished all of the aid that it can. And, there is yet one more reason for this visit: to continue to reinforce the continued collaboration of the United States with the Bahamas, as the later continues to rebuild its nation.

“There is much we can do to help our Bahamian brothers and sisters. First, those in Congress must work to ensure that we are able to disburse as much aid as we are able, in order to facilitate the recovery. Another step we can take is to extend temporary protected status for those affected by Dorian. I am proud to support this initiative and look forward to advocating for it when the Congress returns to Washington, D.C., next week. And, we can help restore Bahamas to the jewel of the Caribbean that it has always been, and we all know it can be—and visit. According to the Tourism Minister of the Bahamas, 60 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product comes from the industry, which employs two-thirds of its workforce. Once the island has reclaimed much of its habitability, I encourage all to consider supporting this place and the wonderful people who call it home.”