[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 551 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         July 30, 2007.
Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the lives of 4.5 million people 
        through loss of life and personal injury; destroyed homes, businesses, 
        and public property; displaced people; and damaged cultural assets and 
        economies across the Gulf Coast of the United States;
Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed nearly every home and business in 
        Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and Cameron 
        Parish; and thousands of homes in Calcasieu Parish and other coastal 
        parishes also suffered flood damage;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina displayed winds peaking at 175 miles per hour;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast region on August 29, 
        2005, as a powerful category 3 storm and the third strongest land-
        falling hurricane ever recorded in the United States;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina destroyed 275,000 homes, 18,750 businesses, and 875 
        schools in Louisiana, and is blamed for the deaths of 1,577 residents in 
        Louisiana;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina caused four levees to breach, including the 17th 
        Avenue Canal, the Industrial Canal, and the London Avenue Canal, 
        resulting in flooding of the city of New Orleans and the parishes of St. 
        Bernard and Plaquemines; and nearly two years later, work on those 
        levees is still unfinished;
Whereas, because of an insufficient levee protection system, approximately 80 
        percent of New Orleans was submerged for nearly one month in deadly 
        flood waters;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina devastated institutions of higher education, including 
        Delgado Community College, Dillard University, Loyola University New 
        Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, the 
        University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana;
Whereas nearly two years later, all colleges and universities in New Orleans 
        have reopened, but enrollment is lagging, major infrastructure has not 
        yet been rebuilt, many public schools remain closed, and private and 
        public schools that have reopened are struggling to recover;
Whereas prior to Hurricane Katrina, the population of New Orleans was 484,674; 
        but nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, little more than half of 
        New Orleans residents have been able to return to their homes;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the capabilities of State and local 
        governments and Congress appropriated billions of dollars for emergency 
        response needs, such as evacuations, repairs, deployment of personnel, 
        and other immediate relief efforts;
Whereas nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, disaster relief efforts 
        continue to be needed, especially for hundreds of thousands of displaced 
        citizens;
Whereas Hurricane Rita made landfall along the border of Louisiana and Texas on 
        September 24, 2005, as the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane ever 
        recorded, causing $9.4 billion in property damage;
Whereas Hurricane Rita completely destroyed several towns in Southwest Louisiana 
        along the border of Texas and washed tons of potentially hazardous 
        debris into the area's marshes, causing severe economic loss, 
        detrimental health effects, and deaths;
Whereas Congress has responded to the devastation of the Gulf Coast region by 
        providing billions of dollars in assistance, including tax relief 
        efforts such as the Gulf Opportunity Zone, student aid, and disability 
        services to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and nearly two years 
        later, Congress continues to provide assistance to expedite economic 
        recovery in the region; and
Whereas the people of the United States have been extremely generous in their 
        support for the Gulf Coast region, in addition to the outpouring of 
        assistance from the international community, which continues to support 
        the recovery efforts in the region: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of the Gulf Coast region to the 
        economy of the United States;
            (2) recognizes the importance of the cultural contributions of the 
        people of the Gulf Coast to the United States; and
            (3) expresses its support for all individuals still affected by 
        Hurricanes Katrina and Rita two years after these terrible natural 
        disasters struck.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.