We were shocked to read the Courier's Aug. 24 editorial, "Braley needs to offer more than hope." In the aftermath of Iowa's recent disasters, Congressman Bruce Braley has been delivering needed disaster relief for our communities and constantly worked to help Iowans recover from the floods and tornado.

When the EF5 tornado hit the communities of Parkersburg, New Hartford, Aplington, Dunkerton, Fairbank, Hazleton and Lamont, Congressman Braley pushed for immediate federal assistance. Just 24 days after the tornado devastated these communities, Braley secured a $17 million federal grant to cover cleanup expenses. For anyone who has dealt with federal bureaucracy, this is an amazingly quick turnaround to secure $17 million for our Iowa communities.

Then, when the flooding began, Congressman Braley again worked quickly to provide billions of dollars for Iowa's recovery efforts. In the wake of the flooding, Congressman Braley helped to secure $2.65 billion in disaster relief just two weeks after the flooding began. This is billions of dollars that is on its way to Iowa, thanks to the work of Congressman Braley and the rest of the Iowa delegation. This is much, much more than just "hope."

But Congressman Braley didn't stop there. He is pushing to make sure the money promised to Iowa is put to use as quickly as possible. Congressman Braley is staying on top of the administration and the FEMA bureaucracy, to ensure that the money promised is quickly released to our communities. He is cutting through the red tape and administration roadblocks to ensure that the money that he helped pass goes straight to the Iowans who need it most. We know he is doing this not just because we see it in the media, but because he and his office are on the ground, helping with the recovery and regularly updating us and many other Iowans.

We agree that more disaster relief is necessary to rebuild our communities, and so does Congressman Braley. From the beginning, he has been working to secure more funding. Congressman Braley has pushed congressional leaders and the administration to provide Iowa with more funding, and to provide it now. He has made this point constantly and vocally.

Congressman Braley reached out to each of our communities to determine our priorities for a second funding request. This attention to local needs is exactly what makes Congressman Braley an effective advocate for Iowa. While condemning the funding delay, he is also looking ahead to ensure we will receive more funding, and to make sure we receive funding for programs that we can actually use on the ground.

Congressman Braley and his office were the first to rush out in the aftermath of this year's tornado and flooding. Congressman Braley filled sandbags and cleared debris alongside many of us. He has been there during every step of this long journey, and we know he will continue to fight for the resources Iowa needs to rebuild.

The Courier is correct, in that Braley is a fighter. From securing funding to ensuring that funding is delivered, Braley is fighting for us.

Editor's note: The following have signed in support of this guest column: Mayor Tim Hurley, R-Waterloo; Mayor Jon Crews, D-Cedar Falls; Mayor Bob Haylock, R-Parkersburg; Mayor Rich Young, D-New Hartford; Supervisor John Miller, D-Black Hawk County; and Supervisor Frank Magsamen, D-Black Hawk County.