Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says he talked with House leaders and others about disaster relief almost every day while he was at the party’s national convention in Denver last week. The talks included a visit with Iowa Democrats by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Braley says even with all those conversations, it’s still important for Pelosi to make a scheduled visit to Iowa.
Braley says her visit will have an "enormous purpose" as it’s one thing to talk to someone about the need for assistance, "it’s another thing for you to see it with your own eyes and hear about from the people that have been affected." Braley says he found out first hand the importance of seeing the damage in person.
Braley says when he rode into Parkersburg the day after it was hit by a tornado, he had a much deeper appreciation for the needs of the residents there. He says the same thing was true as he visited flood damaged areas in his district. Pelosi is scheduled to visit Iowa on September 8th.