{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363076", "<span class=\"kicker\">NJ.com news article</span>N.J. Congressman tours typhoon-stricken areas in PhilippinesN.J. Congressman tours typhoon-stricken areas in Philippines", "2013-11-26", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After witnessing Hurricane Sandy\u2019s impact on his own district, a New Jersey congressman is surveying a devastating typhoon\u2019s damage half way around the world.\r\nCongressman Chris Smith (R-4th) and his bipartisan congressional delegation traveled to the region impacted by Typhoon Haiyan to meet with victims of the typhoon, emergency workers and U.S. and Filipino government officials.\r\n\u201cYou listen to the victims and talk directly to the people who are leading the humanitarian response efforts so you can see where there is an unmet need and how federal resources can help,\" Smith said in a Tuesday press release.\r\nSmith is no stranger to disaster zones. He gained a working knowledge of on-the-ground disaster relief and response operations domestically and around the world, including during the 2004 Tsunami and most recently in New Jersey when parts of his congressional district were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.\r\nSmith, who is joined on the trip by Reps. Al Green (D-TX), and Trent Franks (R-AZ), saw for himself the typhoon's devastation in Tacloban City and surrounding areas in Leyte.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s mind numbing and heart numbing,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019ve been to many places around the world when there have been catastrophic typhoons hurricanes, earthquakes and even more. It is powerful to witness the Filipino people\u2019s resiliency in the face of devastation, in the face the loss of life.\u201d \r\nUpon arrival, the Smith delegation met with Filipino Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario. Smith expressed to him that the U.S would continue working with his government to bring life-saving supplies. The American and Filipino peoples have had an enormous bond for \u201cwell over a century,\" Smith said.\r\nSmith and the delegation toured much of the devastation and at some staging areas assisted in handing out clean water kits and other basic supplies to help mitigate the spread of water borne diseases.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s all about generosity,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe saw with Superstorm Sandy in my own state the devastation and the U.S. government\u2014federal government\u2014had our back because we needed it. Friends here in the Philippines, they have to know that we have their backs and I think that\u2019s what USAID is doing, CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and the other non-government organizations so that\u2019s the message I take away from here.\u201d\r\nAt one point, the U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules the Smith CODEL was traveling in was diverted en route to pick up two survivors of a helicopter crash into Manila Bay. The C-130 crew, from Villamor Air Base, located the two passengers of the helicopter floating on the water and dropped flotation devices for them.\r\n\u201cI am extremely impressed with U.S. servicemembers performing such critical humanitarian work,\u201d Smith said.\u201cUSAID is doing a wonderful job - this is really a textbook example of how it should be done.\u201d\r\nThe Philippines, a former U.S. territory, and one of the U.S.\u2019s closet allies in the Far East, suffered a direct hit by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in history on November 8. More than 4,000 people were killed and many more thousands were injured. An estimated 4.4 million people have been displaced. \r\nSmith arrived in thed Philippines Saturday. Last week, he said that the U.N. has called for $301 million in worldwide humanitarian aid and the U.S. is among the donor nations offering assistance. \r\n\u201cThe U.S. government has spent or pledged almost $50 million to help. Emergency shelter, food, water and medicine are being shipped in to meet the needs of the victims, many of whom have immediate relatives in the United States,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAs was the case after the devastating 2004 tsunami, America has deployed an aircraft carrier\u2014this time the USS George Washington\u2014and other military assets to provide emergency assistance.\"\r\nSmith said secondary concerns in the storm\u2019s aftermath are the threat of human trafficking and disease.  \r\n\u00a0  \r\n\u201cHowever, there are two post-storm dangers that must receive immediate attention as well: the threat of epidemics and rising levels of human trafficking,\u201d Smith said. \"The Philippines is a known source country for trafficking victims who are fooled by promises of careers in other countries. Now there is great concern for the protection of adolescent girls from scurrilous sex traffickers who will use the crisis to exploit these young women. \r\nSmith also expressed concern for the added threat of typhoid and cholera and other diseases that can manifest in the storm\u2019s aftermath.\r\n\"I\u2019m hoping that those displaced by the storm will be properly protected from the epidemics that could ensue in the days and weeks that follow such a devastating natural disaster. Epidemics are likely due to contaminated water systems and the breakdown of medical services.\" http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2013/11/nj_congressman_tours_typhoon-stricken_areas_in_philippines.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363076"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8919639512896538, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}