WASHINGTON – Mississippi’s congressional delegation today sent a letter to President Obama endorsing a federal disaster designation to make federal recovery resources available to Mississippians recovering from flood and severe storm damage on March 9-14, 2016.

The letter of support for Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant’s request for federal assistance was signed by U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, and U.S. Representatives Bennie G. Thompson, Gregg Harper, Steven Palazzo, and Trent Kelly.

“We know from our ongoing recovery in Mississippi from the effects of recent hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding that significant resources and cooperation are necessary to recover fully from natural disasters as quickly as possible,” the Mississippi lawmakers wrote. “We stand ready to face this new challenge by supporting the local communities, the state, and federal agencies as we work together to rebuild and renew areas destroyed by this major weather event.”

The issuance of a presidential disaster declaration, as requested by the state, would trigger the release of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds. Bryant’s federal disaster declaration requests resources for Bolivar, Coahoma, and Washington counties, as well as hazard mitigation assistance statewide.

The following is the text of the congressional delegation’s letter to the President:

Dear President Obama:

In the wake of devastating weather events across the Southeastern United States during the period of March 9-14, 2016, we request your full consideration of Governor Phil Bryant's request for a federal disaster declaration for Bolivar, Coahoma, and Washington counties in Mississippi as well as hazard mitigation statewide.

We appreciate the efforts of FEMA to deploy rapidly to Mississippi to assist state and local officials in estimating the severity of flooding across our state. Citizens have lost loved ones, homes, and their livelihoods. Much of this destruction has occurred in parts of our state that have been particularly affected by our nation's current economic situation. Many of these counties also have poverty levels that are more than double the national average.

We know from our ongoing recovery in Mississippi from the effects of recent hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding that significant resources and cooperation are necessary to recover fully from natural disasters as quickly as possible. We stand ready to face this new challenge by supporting the local communities, the state, and federal agencies as we work together to rebuild and renew areas destroyed by this major weather event.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance in this effort.

The annual designation of February as Black History Month has been a U.S. tradition for 40 years. Every President since 1976 has issued a proclamation naming this month a special time for honoring the countless contributions that African Americans have made to our nation since its founding.

In the U.S. Senate, I am a cosponsor of the resolution introduced by Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) celebrating Black History Month. The bipartisan resolution reiterates the importance of this month as an “opportunity to reflect on the complex history of the United States, while remaining hopeful and confident about the path ahead.” Notable Mississippians, such as Blanche Bruce, Holt Collier, Medgar Evers, B.B. King, Walter Payton, Hiram Revels, and Aaron Shirley, are among the pioneers, leaders, and luminaries named in the resolution. We continue to learn from their example, especially their perseverance against discrimination and the difference they made in our state and nation.

Preserving the Home of Medgar Evers

One way to honor the contributions of our African American leaders is through the preservation of important landmarks and historic markers. In particular, I am hopeful that the Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Evers House in Jackson will be recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service announced earlier this month that the home is under official review. Sen. Cochran and I introduced legislation last year authorizing the agency to study the national significance of the Evers home. Such a designation would help ensure that future generations have the opportunity to realize the magnitude of Evers’s legacy as a champion for freedom and equality.

Paying Tribute to Selma’s ‘Foot Soldiers’

Last year, Congress recognized courageous African Americans of the civil rights movement by awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the brave “Foot Soldiers” who marched from Selma to Montgomery championing the right to vote. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award given by Congress. I joined 73 other Senators in cosponsoring legislation to bestow this honor on these deserving individuals. President Obama signed the legislation into law on March 7, 2015 – exactly five decades after Bloody Sunday, when hundreds of civil rights marchers were attacked on Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge.

National African American Museum to Open in the Fall

Later this year, the Smithsonian Institution will add to the commemoration of African American history with a new museum on the National Mall in Washington. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is scheduled to open in September, offering a unique space to showcase the diversity of our heritage and the greatness of the American story.

In addition to this national recognition, we see African American history being celebrated and remembered locally across the country. Mississippi, for example, will be home to the first state-sponsored civil rights museum in the country, which is set to open next year in Jackson.

Much has changed since the observance of the first Black History Month, and there is still much to learn about the progress we have made as a nation. Recognizing the numerous ways that African Americans have shaped U.S. history as well as the impact of race and reconciliation on the lives of millions of Americans should extend beyond the month of February.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., along with U.S. Representative Trent Kelly, R-Miss., today joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers advocating for government procurement of U.S.-grown rice for use in “Food For Peace” emergency response efforts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are in the process of determining commodities for use in humanitarian relief shipments. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USAID Administrator Gayle Smith, the Mississippians joined lawmakers from other rice-producing states to ask that U.S.-grown rice be prioritized for delivery through “Food For Peace” and other relief programs. 

“It is no secret that rice is the most consumed commodity in the world and is an excellent staple food in addressing hidden hunger,” the lawmakers wrote. “Milled U.S.-grown rice has a long history as an important part of both USDA’s and USAID’s ongoing food assistance programs. The recent addition of fortified rice to the U.S. government commodity master list will also provide new opportunities to address the devastating impact of acute micronutrient deficiencies.”

The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-113) provided funding for food aid to international populations in need. In addition to “Food For Peace,” the food aid funding supports the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program and the Food for Progress Program. These programs help support food security where it is most in jeopardy and provide relief to conflict-stricken areas around the globe.

Rice is a leading commodity crop grown in Mississippi. The Mississippi Delta produced 13.6 million hundredweight of rice in 2014, with a $174 million production value.

The letter, spearheaded by Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., was signed by Senators Wicker, Cochran, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., David Vitter, R-La., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Representatives Kelly, Rick Crawford, R-Ark., Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-La., Mike Bost, R-Ill., Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., French Hill, R-Ark., Jason Smith, R-Mo., Charles Boustany Jr., M.D., R-La., Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., Steve Womack, R-Ark., John Fleming, M.D., R-La., Ted Poe, R-Texas, and John Garamendi, D-Calif.

Full text of the letter:

Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Smith:

Thank you for your work in utilizing the bounty of the U.S. agriculture sector to provide food to the world’s hungry and to conflict-stricken areas around the globe, particularly through the use of the Food For Peace program. This partnership between American agriculture and global humanitarian efforts dates back over 60 years and we hope to see it continue to improve nutrition and food security globally.

As you know, in December H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, was signed into law. This bill directly supports U.S. international food aid efforts by providing additional funding to deliver critically needed food aid to populations in need. The additional food aid funds not only support the continued success of critical programs, such as the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program and the Food for Progress Program, but also provide the first significant increase in P.L. 480 funding in many years for the Food For Peace program.

The additional $250 million is to be directed towards supporting emergency response efforts to the ongoing refugee crisis and famine through in-kind food aid assistance. As you know, in-kind food aid contributions leverage the bounty of U.S. agricultural commodities to provide a safe and reliable source of food to populations in need.

It is no secret that rice is the most consumed commodity in the world and is an excellent staple food in addressing hidden hunger. Milled U.S.-grown rice has a long history as an important part of both USDA’s and USAID’s ongoing food assistance programs. The recent addition of fortified rice to the U.S. government commodity master list will also provide new opportunities to address the devastating impact of acute micronutrient deficiencies.

The U.S. rice industry also has a long and successful partnership with both the U.S. government and private humanitarian agencies and shares the goal of meeting the nutritional needs of vulnerable populations around the world. With a strong crop of rice this past year resulting in significant stocks, we see a clear opportunity to provide greater assistance in an even more economical fashion to help those in need as a result of the refugee crisis.

We ask that during the procurement process for the in-kind commodities used in the emergency response efforts in the Middle East that U.S.-grown rice, including fortified rice, be prioritized for delivery to those in need.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators  Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced that Joseph Hasbrouck of Pascagoula and Jackson Wilkins of Hattiesburg have been selected to represent Mississippi at the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP).

Wicker and Cochran, consistent supporters of the USSYP, will meet Hasbrouck and Wilkins, who will participate in the 2016 USSYP Washington Week, March 5-12 in Washington. As delegates, the Mississippi students will each be awarded a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship from the Hearst Foundation, which funds the entire program.

“I look forward to welcoming Joseph and Jackson to Washington,” Wicker said. “The Senate Youth Program is an outstanding way for Mississippi youth to understand the importance of public service. This week-long visit to the nation’s capital will strengthen their leadership abilities and political knowledge. I am confident that these exceptional students will represent Mississippi well.”

“The U.S. Senate Youth Program provides an excellent opportunity for student leaders to join their peers from across the country to learn more about public service and our government,” Cochran said. “I congratulate Joseph and Jackson for their community service and their selection to this scholarship program, and look forward to meeting them as they represent Mississippi.”

In all, 104 student delegates from across the country will take part in the USSYP Washington Week, which is an educational program that includes meetings and briefings with Senators, congressional staff, the President, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and officials from cabinet agencies, the diplomatic corps and the media.

Hasbrouck, a senior at Pascagoula High School, is student council secretary, class treasurer, National Honor Society president, a Speech and Debate Club member and sings in the choir. Hasbrouck volunteers time to help manage blood drives and serve meals at the Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.

Wilkins, a senior at Sacred Heart Catholic School, is student body president and co-president of the school’s Environmental Club. In addition to participating in mock trial, soccer, tennis and math competition teams, Wilkins is also editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, which he founded. At the Mississippi Boys State, he was elected secretary of state and named “Boys Stater of the Year.”

Mississippi’s alternate delegates to the 2016 program are Belmont High School student Canaan Harris of Golden, and William Hay of West Point, who attends Heritage Academy.

The Mississippi delegates and alternates were designated by Dr. Carey Wright, Mississippi Superintendent of Education, from among students nominated by teachers and principals.

The USSYP was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundations since its inception. No government funds are used. Two students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity take part in the annual program.