[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7712-H7719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am joined this evening by
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), my colleague from New
Orleans, on a Special Order held by the Congressional Black Caucus to
discuss the events of the last few days relative to Hurricane Katrina.
As you know, we have had serious troubles in our part of the country.
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Davis) and myself, who are members of the Congressional
Black Caucus, have had our districts pretty much decimated because of
Hurricane Katrina, and we have some serious concerns about our
government and its response. On behalf of the Congressional Black
Caucus, we want to share those concerns tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I yield at this point to the gentleman from Louisiana
(Mr. Jefferson).
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, it is important the Congressional Black Caucus address
these issues tonight because many of the people who are affected by
this tragedy are African American and otherwise impoverished or
disadvantaged, and they are folks who need to have their concerns given
voice tonight.
Many of our Members will talk on different issues. I want to talk
about the recovery of that area, of our area, and about an economic
recovery package for New Orleans and the other areas affected by
Hurricane Katrina.
Hundreds of thousands of my constituents have been uprooted from
their homes. More than 100,000 businesses have been shuttered, and
possibly thousands of lives have been lost to the wrath of Hurricane
Katrina.
The extent of the damage, the human toll, property damage and
economic loss is unprecedented in our Nation's history.
Of particular significance, a disproportionate share of the damage in
my hometown of New Orleans was meted out to parts of our great city
that were already extraordinarily economically disadvantaged.
The poverty and economic depression in these areas in no small way
were factors in the extraordinary loss of life and property experienced
by my constituents.
For that reason, it is critically important at this time to come
together to ensure that all areas affected by Hurricane Katrina receive
the necessary resources to rebound from what could be an economically
devastating blow all across the gulf coast.
Now, we are talking about an economic package of $40 billion coming
up. We just approved $10 billion a few days ago, but I think it is
important to put the right number before the Congress. At this time, we
do not know what that number is, but we know it is a lot larger than
$50 billion.
The Wall Street Journal reports today that through their own analysis
they have come up with a figure of $150 to $200 billion. Today, at a
press conference, I called on our Congress and our Nation to set aside
some $225 billion for this tragedy, $100-plus billion for New Orleans
alone.
I believe it is important to talk about a number that is closer to
the right number now so that we will not have the rest of the Congress
figuring that we have already fixed the problem with 40 or 50 or $60
billion when we know it is going to be four times that number.
So as the Congress moves on various relief packages, I would like to
articulate a few principles and policy proposals I believe should guide
our efforts and be included in any relief package.
{time} 2000
First, the urban poor in New Orleans were dramatically and
disproportionately affected, as I have said, by the destruction of
Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, our efforts must include provisions to
improve conditions to the point that the magnitude of the damage is
never again experienced in our great Nation.
Second, businesses large and small have been shuttered throughout the
region, leading to an economic double whammy. Not only is the region
cut off from the goods and services provided by these businesses, but
the tens of thousands of employees working for these businesses are cut
off from their jobs and their paychecks.
Third, the public health effects of Hurricane Katrina are also
extraordinary. In response to the health impacts of the hurricane, we
must restore health care access, health care quality, health outcomes
and the health care worker force because all Americans deserve equal
treatment in health care. A proper investment in health care will
improve both the health and economic well-being of our region and our
country. The legislation we propose ought to address rebuilding the
public health infrastructure and ensuring health care coverage. We
must, therefore, move to immediately counter these difficult
challenges.
On the economic front, I think it is important to propose measures to
jump-start the economic recovery throughout the gulf coast, and in the
long term to improve the lives of hardworking Americans throughout the
region. Because there are a number of Federal tax benefits conditioned
on the household living situation of the taxpayer, and in light of the
extraordinary displacement of citizens throughout the region, I think
we should recommend changes to the Tax Code that ensure that displaced
Americans are not disqualified from the tax benefits to which they are
otherwise entitled as a result of the hurricane.
Under current law, there are limits on a taxpayer's ability to deduct
casualty or disaster losses in ways that would severely affect large
numbers of our constituents. Accordingly, I believe we should propose
to eliminate any barriers in the Tax Code that would prevent the
devastated families from the tax relief to which they are now entitled.
So many of our people who lost their property back home were not home
owners; unfortunately, they lived in apartments. They did not have
renters insurance or flood insurance. They have lost everything. This
has to be taken into account as we go about this.
One of the most extraordinary effects of Hurricane Katrina ever is
the unprecedented destruction of housing in New Orleans. One hundred
sixty thousand homes in New Orleans alone, and across the area more
than 200,000 homes have been affected by this or destroyed by this
hurricane. This is going to take some extraordinary action by FEMA and
HUD, and some flexibility in the Community Development Block Grant
program and the HOME program to get our region back on its feet.
I think we should look at the New Markets Tax Credits program and add
$1 billion in 2006 and another $1 billion in 2007 to help with the
restructuring there.
With our businesses, of course, there are no jobs, and we ought to
ensure that we provide businesses throughout the region the tools
necessary to reopen and thrive, as well as incentives to provide jobs
to the thousands of displaced Americans throughout the region.
On health care, we ought to have a declaration of emergency to
trigger
[[Page H7713]]
emergency Medicaid provisions, and we ought to allow our States to
therefore simplify the application process and eliminate other barriers
to enrollment and participation. We should think about a 100 percent
Federal Medicaid match to States directly affected by Hurricane Katrina
or States receiving evacuees, and elimination of residency requirements
as people are being scattered throughout the country.
On Medicare, we ought to waive the late enrollment penalties for
affected residents to sign up for the new prescription drug benefit
from October of this year to some other time, if they become newly
eligible. We ought to delay transition of the affected dual-eligible to
the Medicare program. And we ought to create a health safety net for
all people affected by Katrina.
With regard to the health care workforce, we have to redirect our
resources there to make sure we have people available to do the work.
We ought to establish health empowerment zones, for instance, and
freeze budget cuts for safety net and public health programs for two.
And, finally, we ought to be concerned about the mental health of our
people, because displacement is a terrible mental health issue, and we
ought to make sure services are delivered there in the proper way.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my colleague, the chairman of
the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.
Watt).
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Thompson) for providing an opportunity for us to speak this evening. I
am speaking as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and we are here
to show our support for our three Members whose districts have been
severely and adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina, the gentleman
from New Orleans, Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), who represents part of that district, and
the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis), who represents part of that
State. We are here to support their efforts on behalf of their
constituents.
Mr. Speaker, it is coincidental that those constituents are
disproportionately African American. I say it is coincidental because I
believe this catastrophe, this hurricane, was certainly not directed at
African American people. But the reality is that poor people,
disproportionately African American people who were poor, were not able
to get away from the disaster. When they were told to leave New
Orleans, in particular, they did not have the financial means to escape
the disaster.
This is an issue that the Congressional Black Caucus has been talking
about not only in the context of a hurricane, but in the context of an
agenda which describes disparities in every area of our lives. It is an
agenda that we have been talking about the entire year. We did not just
start talking about it in the context of a hurricane.
Disproportionately, African Americans are poor. And if this same
catastrophe had happened in any American community in which black
people and white people were living, disproportionately African
Americans would have been left behind, subject to the whims of nature
and the catastrophe.
So we are here to express our support for our Members and their
constituents, and we heartily endorse the proposals that have been
outlined in general terms by our friend, the gentleman from New Orleans
(Mr. Jefferson). We endorse them and we encourage our colleagues to
embrace them.
Our Nation is at a crossroads, and we must respond. We must respond
to these constituents in the same way that we would respond to other
Americans, rich, middle class and otherwise, who were subjected to this
kind of disaster. I encourage my colleagues to pay attention to what is
going on in this area and to devote our resources and our energy, both
private-sector and governmental, to addressing this problem.
Mr. Speaker, I will yield back to my colleague, the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), and again applaud him for providing this
opportunity for Members of the Congressional Black Caucus to address
this issue.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).
Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from
Mississippi for yielding to me and for his leadership during this
difficult time. We are here to stand with you and to offer assistance
to you.
And to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), whose district
has been so devastated, we are here to say that we support you
wholeheartedly.
I want to thank the millions of Americans, individual Americans and
families, who have brought into their own homes, into their churches
and into their schools many people who find themselves homeless. I want
to applaud the American citizenry for stepping up at a time when our
Federal Government did not.
In our own State of Michigan, we have received evacuees. The governor
advised today that no more evacuees would be coming to Michigan, but I
am here to say, Madam Governor, that they are still coming to Detroit.
We have 300 families in Detroit right now and we are housing them, we
are clothing them, we are feeding them, and the medical community in
Detroit has come together under the leadership of Mayor Kilpatrick.
I want to pledge to my colleagues, the gentleman from Mississippi
(Mr. Thompson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) that we will continue to do that. We
are here to serve, to represent, and to take care of the least among
us. And so we will do that, my congressional brothers. And I want the
governor of the State of Michigan to know that we appreciate her, but
we will take care of these people as they come to our doors from this
grief-stricken region.
I want to applaud Secretary Alphonso Jackson and HUD, who has been
working with our mayor to make sure that we have the facilities
available. Our private community has stepped forward, our hotel
industry, our manufacturers of food, and our health care industry. That
is how we are able to do what we are doing in the city of Detroit, and
we will continue to do so.
We need the Federal Government to cut the red tape. There is too much
red tape here. We have an emergency. We have put out $10.5 billion,
which has been passed by both Houses of Congress. I am told today that
Halliburton got $500 million of that already in a no-bid contract to
help in New Orleans, to relieve the streets of its water. I wonder why
we could not find others. At the same time, I have families who have
been stopped from getting the food and nutrition that they need.
FEMA must develop a plan. I, too, call for the firing of Mr. Brown,
the FEMA director with no emergency management experience, as well as
his deputy, a friend of the President's, with no emergency management
experience. We need real professionals in this time of need. The CBC
stands ready, our Congressional Black Caucus, to do what we must do,
and we will be visiting the stricken area soon now.
I was in an appropriation hearing today where we discussed the tens
of billions of dollars, over $250 billion, that is being spent in the
reconstruction of Iraq. Must we be there? Maybe. But should we take
care of America's people? We must. So I call upon this Congress and the
President to work together to make sure that American people are taken
care of.
I witnessed this morning on a morning show a family with the last
name of Allen, a wife whose husband works for the housing department in
Louisiana, who stayed in Louisiana to help the people who were left
there. The wife and one of the sons were evacuated. This family has a
son fighting for this country in Iraq.
So, you see, they are American citizens, many who have been evacuated
because of a national disaster. We owe them. They pay taxes. The
seniors, the frail, they built this country. We owe them.
Let us rise up, America. This Congress can do better and we will do
better, because we cannot let them down.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Rush).
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for
yielding to me, and I want him to know that he and the gentleman from
Louisiana
[[Page H7714]]
(Mr. Jefferson), and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) are an
inspiration to many of us. Your courage, your commitment, and the
leadership that you have displayed over these trying times, not only to
those who reside in your districts but also to the American people in
general have not gone unnoticed.
The Bible says, ``When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.'' Mr. Speaker,
when I think of the devastating effects of the failed rapid response of
the Federal Government to Hurricane Katrina, I cannot help but wonder
about the value of some life, some human life in this country,
particularly the lives of the poor, the powerless, and the black.
Along with the rest of the world, I have been outraged by the less-
than-rapid response, of the inaction, of the lack of attention and the
lack of providing aid to the thousands of individuals who were left to
die and fend for themselves in the aftermath of the worst natural
disaster in American history. Those who did not die were subject to the
most dehumanizing conditions, the demoralizing squalor in the Superdome
and other relief centers in New Orleans has been compared to the
conditions in the hulls of slave cargo ships.
{time} 1815
I might add, this is not a far-fetched and extreme exaggeration.
Hurricane Katrina is an example of how the Federal Government failed.
It is an example of a complete breakdown when responding to those in
need of critical help. In times of national crisis, the cries of
mothers, fathers and families from Louisiana and Mississippi and
Alabama went unheard.
I serve on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and today our
committee held a hearing on price gouging at America's pumps. But my
immediate concerns are on the price of human suffering being paid by
the most vulnerable in our society.
New Orleans is going through a full-blown public health crisis,
Mississippi is going through a full-blown public health crisis, and so
is Alabama; and they are all suffering from the debilitating
environmental conditions caused by Hurricane Katrina and by human
malfeasance.
In addition to examining the incompetence and indifference of FEMA,
the National Guard, and, I might add, the American Red Cross in their
responding to this catastrophe, this Congress needs to address
immediate and emergency concerns, including the purification of the
drinking water and the abatement of dreaded diseases such as e-coli,
hepatitis A, cholera, West Nile and other mosquito and waterborne
diseases. Clearly, the public health concerns of this Nation and
particularly the Gulf Coast region are of paramount importance.
I might also quickly note that we should sharply increase funding for
the LIHEAP program, so that we can address the rising cost of heating
oil during the upcoming winter months.
Lastly, we must examine and address the psychological scars that
people have suffered from this terrible tragedy. We cannot
underestimate the wounds that lie deeply in the psychology of the
victims of Hurricane Katrina. The week-long conditions under which many
of them toiled are unimaginable.
In this regard, we must especially be sensitive to the psychological
needs of the children. Children may have suffered trauma that will stay
with them for the rest of their lives. It is important that this
Congress provide comprehensive mental health services to the children
and to all of the evacuees.
It is now time for this Congress to acknowledge that there is
widespread poverty in this Nation. It is now time for this Congress to
also acknowledge the role that poverty played in the paucity of the
Federal response during this national crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I also join with my colleagues in saying down with
Michael Brown. Down with Michael Brown.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from Alabama (Mr. Davis), another Member of this body that was also
affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Mr. DAVIS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for yielding. I certainly thank all of my
colleagues in this Chamber who have expressed solicitude to me. But,
frankly, that solicitude is better spent on my colleagues from
Mississippi and Louisiana. My State of Alabama was gratuitously spared
virtually all of this damage. There are certainly people in my State
who lost power, there are people in my State who were hurt. But God did
not create all suffering on the same scale, and I know the difference
between what has happened in my State and what has happened to my
colleagues.
I am very proud of the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), I
am very proud of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) for all
of the work that they do in this Congress, but particularly for their
fortitude in the last week, because, Mr. Speaker, we have been able to
sit at these things from a distance. We have been able to talk as
compassionate people about these losses.
The gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) have the very hard work of going into their
communities and talking to people who are in pain and saying, ``I will
use my power to try to help you,'' and seeing the tears in response. So
it is they who very much deserve our solicitude tonight, and I am proud
to serve with them.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make three points that I think are related.
The first one is this:
So many of the people who died, and we understand that the numbers of
the dead will likely exceed 10,000, the largest single disaster in
American history, so many of the ones who died had lives that do not
put them on the front page of the newspaper. They had lives that were
relatively anonymous. They were hard-working people, trying to make it
through their lot in life, and all of a sudden they were cut down in
blameless circumstances.
The challenge of leadership though is to give an honor and a place to
those who die in tragic circumstances. The challenge of real leadership
is to lift the anonymity and to put an honor on the table.
One of the things that I wish we would see in this Chamber, Mr.
Speaker, is for the President of the United States to do what he did
the last time our country was seared, to come and gather the House and
Senate together in this body, to address the Nation and the Congress,
and to paint a vision of how we can do better next time and a vision of
how we can rebuild these people.
I would love to see the President go to the National Cathedral, a
place he went 4 days after September 11, because when he went to the
National Cathedral, he gave an honor to those victims and lifted them
up to a certain place of honor. I would love to see that done for the
people in your State of Mississippi and the people in the great State
of Louisiana.
We cannot let the anonymity that lingered over the lives of these
people mask the honor of their death, because the honor of their death
is this: They were innocent, hard-working Americans who lost their
lives in part because of nature, but in part because of the errors of
our government. And it is that second point that I want to turn to
tonight.
The country needs this President to admit that his government failed;
the country needs this President to come here and say that the standard
that was set by FEMA last week is one that was unacceptable for the
people of Mississippi and Louisiana; and the country needs this
President to name this as the disaster that it was. I cannot say it
nearly as eloquently as our friend and colleague the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Lewis), but our country is embarrassed when we have power
and do not use it intelligently and effectively. Our country is
embarrassed when we have the means, the capacity and the ability to
know what was happening last week, and still fail to adequately respond
to it.
I have heard some of my friends and colleagues on the other side of
the aisle say that they were pleased and satisfied and thankful for the
job that happened last week, and I would simply differ with them in
this one sense: Can we truly be pleased with the lack of response, the
constant underestimation, the constant miscalculation? Because if we
are pleased with that and we consider that to be good work, our
standard is far too low.
[[Page H7715]]
The final point that I want to make, I say to the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), is one that perhaps should be more obvious
to us. The fissures that already exist in our society become even more
painful and more acute when there are stresses in our society. Last
week, as so many people in this Chamber have said so well, the people
who were left in the Superdome, the people not evacuated in time, so
many are the people we often do not see. And we owe this next quote to
Mr. Brown, the head of FEMA. Mr. Brown said that we learned that there
were people that we did not even know existed.
Mr. Brown did not mean to be profound when he said that, but he was
unintentionally so, because we did learn and his administration did
learn last week that there are people that they did not know existed,
who live in the cracks and fissures in our society. And that ought to
pain us.
The last point that I want to make, and it is the point I would hang
over this Chamber as we think over this next several weeks: We owe
people in this country a better place than the margins of life. There
are people who, because of their own faults and their own demerits, end
up in a particular place. We understand that. We know that. The Bible
tells us that. But we ought to be strong enough and bold enough as a
country to not let people who are trying to live their lives fall into
the margins because we do not care enough to build a net around them.
The absence of a net in New Orleans, the absence of a net in
Mississippi, the absence of a safety net in much of the South, was laid
bare last week, and we ought to be moved by that.
I will not cheapen this tragedy by saying there is a silver lining in
it. Too many people died for that. But I will say that I hope that we
draw some inspiration. I hope that as we go about fashioning a strategy
for relief, that we fashion a strategy for relief that can lift up the
weakest of these people and the least of them in an economic sense.
But I hope as we move past Hurricane Katrina, and, frankly most of us
in this Chamber will find a way to do that, it is the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Jefferson) who will continue to you live with it, but for a lot of the
people in this Chamber, we will be able to move past this. We will be
on to the next crisis of the month or the next political cause of the
month.
But I hope as we move on, we carry this lesson with us, we carry this
notion that if we are a just country, we cannot be a country where
being left behind and being left out has the consequences that happened
in the gentlemen's State of Mississippi and in Louisiana last week. If
we are to be the country that we say we are, we have to do better by
all of our people.
The final point before I yield back my time, I turn once again to the
President and his leadership. This President would not serve himself or
our country well if this is turned into an attack on the mayor of New
Orleans or the governor of Louisiana. This is not the time to make
false comparisons and to wonder whether the governor and the mayor did
not do this or did not do that, because there is something we ought to
understand: The governor and the mayor lived in the midst of a crisis.
The people who sat comfortably in this city last week were removed
from that crisis. They were in a position and had the level head to do
better, and they came up with the sea of incompetence that we saw. So
how dare we look at the mayor and the governor sitting among their
people in the midst of all of this and blame them, when people sat in
this city far removed from the danger and could not do better?
Mr. Speaker, again I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Thompson) for his leadership, and I hope that his constituents, and
know that his constituents, appreciate it. I thank the gentleman for
his work as the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security,
because it ought to be said, What is the measure of homeland security
if we cannot find a way to secure our own people in the midst of
danger?
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very
much.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing my
heartfelt sympathy to all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and their
families. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them as they cope with
the aftermath of this enormous tragedy. We stand in solidarity with our
brothers, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman
from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Davis).
My home State of New Jersey has responded by deploying police
officers, firefighters and decontamination personnel from around our
State to aid relief efforts in the City of New Orleans. I commend
Governor Codey of New Jersey for his leadership in responding to the
needs of those affected by the catastrophic conditions in New Orleans
and the surrounding areas.
In addition, Continental Airlines, which has a hub in my home city of
Newark, is participating in Operation Air Care to provide emergency
airlift to more than 25,000 New Orleans residents stranded by Hurricane
Katrina. I appreciate the efforts.
Many of our local churches in my congressional district have taken
the lead in organizing relief efforts to collect clothing, food and
money to help hurricane victims. Over the past weekend I met with
Reverend Raymond Jefferson of Metropolitan Baptist Church, originally
from Louisiana, who is organizing a comprehensive statewide relief.
Just last night he convened a meeting of concerned community leaders
and is working tirelessly to bring refugee relief to the hurricane
victims.
My office received a call from a family of 11, who needed assistance,
coming up from Louisiana, and we were able to locate housing for them.
Then we went to Reverend William Howard's church, Bethany Baptist
Church in Newark, to help provide additional social services, including
medical attention, preschool for the youngsters, as well as schooling
for high school and college students, and Social Security for the
elderly. It is really a complicated system, and everybody needs to be
involved.
While Reverend Howard and I were meeting with the family at the
church, we received a call that the grandfather of the family who had
been missing was located at a hospital in New Orleans. This was a great
feeling.
Reverend Joe Carter of New Hope Baptist Church started a fund-raising
drive on Sunday and will meet with the pastor from New Orleans tonight
in Atlanta at a meeting of the National Baptist Convention. So everyone
is doing their own thing, collectively.
Let me conclude by saying, unfortunately, much of the devastation
caused by Hurricane Katrina could have been mitigated if President Bush
and his director of Federal Emergency Management Agency had shown real
leadership by responding swiftly and completely to the warning before
Katrina hit the gulf coast. Instead, they seem to be in denial about
their woeful and inadequate response, even to the point of blaming the
victims.
{time} 2030
FEMA Director Michael Brown coldly made the statement that those
behind had failed to heed the advance warnings and thus were basically
responsible for their own misfortune. It apparently never occurred to
him that not everyone had the resources to drive or fly out of the city
before the hurricane struck.
Today's Washington Post reported that offers of assistance from other
countries were ignored for days after the tragedy. An executive with a
telecommunications company based in the Netherlands expressed his
frustration with these words: ``FEMA? That was a lost case. We got zero
help. We lost one week trying to get things so that we could move
forward.''
I serve as one of two congressional delegates to the United Nations,
and it is going to be embarrassing for me next week to be with our
allies from around the world who offered assistance which was turned
down.
Let me conclude by saying I received a call from Rome today, and they
said they were shocked at the abject poverty in the United States. They
did not realize that there was so much poverty in this country. And
even The Washington Post referred to people as refugees. By
international law, if they
[[Page H7716]]
looked it up, one cannot be a refugee in one's own country.
Disgraceful, wrong, and that is what the W in George W. stands for.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Mr. Speaker, we often hear it said from this administration that this
government should be run like a private business. I would like to ask
the Members what business would ever think about retaining an employee
who performed as dismally as Mr. Brown did, completely failing to
fulfill his responsibilities at a time of crisis?
I was also shocked to hear statements made by others that many of the
victims are better off in the shelters in Houston because they were
underprivileged anyway. It was said by a very prominent American.
Unbelievable. To suggest that it does not matter if poor people lose
the roof over their heads and all of their possessions, lose loved ones
and have their families separated seems to me to be the height of
insensitivity on the part of the overprivileged.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will have a thorough investigation into
the failings of our government to respond to this cataclysmic event and
the consequences it had on all victims and disproportionately on
victims and people of color. We are the United States of America, and
we certainly can do better.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
his comments.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald).
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, my prayers and my heart go out
to those who have been displaced and the families that have been
disrupted by this devastation. I stand firmly with my brothers, the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) and, most importantly, New
Orleans; the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson); and the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) while they meet the challenges ahead
and while they grapple with this devastation.
Hurricane Katrina is turning out to be the worst human catastrophe in
America's history, far surpassing Hurricane Camille and the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake in its destructive and deadly impact.
At this time I would like to thank all Californians for their
generosity and outpouring of donations, food, clothing, and opening
their homes to the families and to our families of this gulf coast
area. My district has a hurricane disaster relief effort, and we are
getting big-rig trucks that are taking all of this to those ravaged
areas, and we thank my church that raised over $100,000 on Sunday,
Second Baptist Church, Dr. William Epps, in providing donations to the
region.
The flooding and physical destruction of New Orleans, a truly
historic American city, coupled with the complete destruction of
families, homes, businesses, roads, and bridges along this 120 miles of
Louisiana and Mississippi coastline presents a humanitarian challenge
of unprecedented proportions with consequences that will be felt for
years to come by those who lost loved ones, jobs, homes, and any sense
of comfort and security. And the reality of our government's failure
thus far to deal adequately with the tragedy that has occurred in New
Orleans and along the gulf coast deepens each day.
While Hurricane Katrina could not have been prevented, it is now
clear that the flooding of New Orleans that followed Katrina would not
have been so devastating if the levees had been rebuilt and the
wetlands had not been taken away.
For years the Federal Government had not provided the critical
funding that would have made possible the building of sound
infrastructure that would have protected New Orleans from this assault
that has come to the great people of this great city.
Our figure says it all. It would have cost only $2.5 billion to build
storm defenses around New Orleans capable of resisting a Category 5
hurricane. Katrina was an upper Category 4 hurricane. Nothing about New
Orleans in this situation is new. Its vulnerability has been known for
decades. This government knew that, yet nothing was done to protect the
city and the surrounding communities.
FEMA, supposedly given a high priority for funding in the wake of 9/
11, was not visible in the first days following this hurricane. We saw
and heard evidence of the lifesaving work of countless private
organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army; yet this FEMA
was not seen or heard of. In other words, we did not know what they
were doing.
And in the days after Katrina hit the gulf coast, we have now learned
that in many cases, FEMA was actually an impediment to the ongoing
rescue and recovery efforts attempted by State and local officials. I
am certain that in the months ahead we will see that FEMA's slow
response to this terrible disaster needlessly resulted in the loss of
hundreds, maybe thousands, of additional deaths and injuries. Why did
this happen in the most powerful country in this world? This question
begs for real answers.
Finally, there is a much more profound American problem that this
disaster has illuminated, and that is the fact that the victims of the
flooding in New Orleans have been, for the most part, African Americans
and poor. The lowest lying areas of New Orleans, the most vulnerable to
flooding, were inhabited by the city's most vulnerable people.
Tragically, these victims, many of whom are children, the elderly, and
the disabled, could have been spared much of the pain and massive
destruction that was caused by Katrina if only their safety had been
our government's priority. Instead, they were essentially left to fend
for themselves with even more tragic consequences.
How could this happen, Mr. Speaker, in the world's most powerful and
wealthiest country? Clearly, it was not due to a lack of resources;
but, rather, it was the result of our Homeland Security and this
administration whose priorities did not include assisting the most
vulnerable and needy of our society.
One of the first questions that we will need answers for after the
rescue and recovery efforts are completed is what will happen to New
Orleans? And these questions should be answered by Congress and the
administration.
What will happen to New Orleans?
I will say this: we must have a plan for rebuilding New Orleans and
the surrounding gulf coast communities, and we must have it soon. The
people of New Orleans and the surrounding gulf coast communities cannot
wait too long for solutions to this immediate crisis they now face. Mr.
Speaker, we must act now. The people of New Orleans and the people of
this country are waiting.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
her comments.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands
(Mrs. Christensen).
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to
me.
Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in extending my sympathy and that
of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the people of Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama who have suffered great losses and continue to
suffer from the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their lives. They are
very fortunate to be represented by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Thompson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), and the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).
I am proud to say that we, who know the fury of these storms, have
many who are working in the affected and host communities, that our
hotel association and countless individuals and businesses have
contributed close to $200,000 and that number continues to climb, that
our National Guard sent many of our able troops to this vital effort,
and our university has opened its doors to displaced students.
After 9/11, it was clear that we needed to become not just a stronger
America but a better America, one where everyone was treated with
dignity, fairness, justice, and compassion. Our leaders, though, urged
us to go back to normal, and that was clearly not good enough. Despite
the generosity of many good people, we have witnessed what has become
normal for far too many in this country: for the poor, the rural, and
people of color.
What happened in Alabama, Mississippi, and especially in Louisiana,
the extent to which we have not yet seen, brings the issue of health
and socioeconomic disparities into stark focus. Based on what is
estimated, Katrina's toll will add more than 12,000 preventable,
premature deaths to the
[[Page H7717]]
close to 100,000 we African Americans experience every year.
I am greatly concerned about all that has to be done now and for
recovery and reconstruction; but as a physician, the health care
challenges that are immediately upon us trouble me most. I am concerned
because as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, along with
the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), we have been issuing
repeated calls for repairing and strengthening our public health system
especially in our poor, minority, and rural communities. Calls that
went unheeded.
I am concerned because we knew from a New York Academy of Medicine
study that people would need more help and information to respond as
instructed. I am concerned because another report on national health
disparities will be released this week which will again tell us that
disparities are widespread and due to persistent and institutional
racial and ethnic discrimination and the socioeconomic problems they
spawn in communities of color.
And so in the affected areas we have worsening chronic disease,
diabetics without insulin for far too long, HIV/AIDS patients without
medication, and babies without the proper feeding. Crowding and poor
sanitation will increase infectious diseases, and we will have mental
health problems now and for a long time to come. In this area the lack
of the culturally competent providers we have long pressed for will be
acutely felt.
No planning in Iraq, no planning here; yet another crisis has been
allowed to develop. The President has not only to own up to the
inadequacy of the preparedness and response, but he must also not cover
it up. He has to work with us to correct it.
Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity that the CBC will lead to make
this right, to still become a better America. We can do it if we invest
in our people and our country instead of giving tax cuts to the
wealthiest Americans. We can do it if we improve Medicaid, not cut it;
if we restore proposed cuts to food stamps, WIC, public housing, small
business programs, education, and all of the health care programs that
improve the health services and health status for all of us who live
here.
We can do it if we do everything that is needed to bring the
destroyed places back and the displaced back home; if we strengthen the
infrastructure in New Orleans and all around this country and in doing
so create jobs and economic opportunity for all. We can do it, and in
this time of great tragedy and distress, the time that usually brings
people together, my prayer is that we will; and I call on all of our
colleagues to support this effort.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
her comments.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for yielding to me, and again I concur with
all of our colleagues in expressing our partnership, our involvement,
our support of the gentleman from Mississippi, the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Davis), and certainly the gentleman from New Orleans and
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).
I want to start out by certainly illustrating an opportunity that our
President has to truly lead here. We know that there has been a failure
in national leadership. We have talked about that. We have criticized
that. But we are going forward now, and there are some important points
that need to be made, and I want to appeal to our President because I
think he has an excellent opportunity to make up some lost ground on
regaining the position of national leadership on this issue because it
is not too late because we have got to move forward.
And I think one of the first orders of business, Mr. Speaker, is that
the President would reach out to the African American Members of
Congress. We are the duly elected representatives who need to be
involved in every critical process going forward. We all know the faces
on the television cameras. The majority of the victims were African
Americans and poor. We know that race and poverty and class play a part
in this. Who better to make sure that this Nation is sensitive to that
important fact?
{time} 2045
It is not something to be brushed under the rug; it is something to
be lifted up. For if it is true, there will be more than 10,000 or
12,000 individuals left, and as the water recedes in New Orleans, we
owe it to those who have lost their lives, who because they were poor
did not have a way to get out. And many in this Nation feel that our
national leadership failed them.
Now is the time to pick up from there, and the first order of
business would be to reach out to members of this Congressional Black
Caucus and make sure that members of the Congressional Black Caucus are
active in the investigation committees going forward, to make sure we
are there to ask the right questions, to get the right answers, and
there will be credibility going forward.
It is important for members of the Congressional Black Caucus to be
on the spending committees. So far, there has been $10.5 billion put
forward. There is another $50.5 billion that will be put forward later
this week, possibly tomorrow. We must be at the table. We must help to
decide where that money is going.
And then, Mr. President, here is a sterling opportunity to lead. It
is going to take at least $250 billion or $300 billion, by all of the
estimates that we have examined, and I have been on the phone to
Harvard economists and others who have said that it is going to take at
least $300 billion. We need a huge investment in New Orleans, in
Louisiana. We need something there that will attract people to come
back to New Orleans. One of the sad things I heard so many people
saying is, I am going from New Orleans, I am not coming back to New
Orleans. Fats Domino said it well: ``I am walking to New Orleans.''
All of us need to walk back to New Orleans. We need people coming
from everywhere to walk back to New Orleans so New Orleans does not
lose a beat; and in order to do that, we have to put a sizable
investment in New Orleans. $200 billion, $300 billion, I do not know
the figure, but it is certainly more than 50, certainly more than 100.
I would think $300 billion. And we have to think that way. That is what
it takes for public works and transportation.
Then we need to determine, what do the victims need to rebuild their
identity. They have no license, they have no addresses, they have no
money; and where can they get immediate financial help? We have an
excellent opportunity for leadership. I look forward to doing it, as do
all of us here in the Congressional Black Caucus. This needs to be a
partnership and a two-way street, and we look forward to working to
make this a positive out of a negative.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi
for yielding, and also to the gentleman from Louisiana, I want to thank
him for his leadership and his hard work
24/7 in helping communities, your communities, work through this
devastation, and also in leading this Congress in an effective
response. We stand with the gentleman from Louisiana. Our constituents
extend their desire to help in whatever way possible and to help in a
very real way.
Mr. Speaker, I said earlier, and I have to say this again, that the
world is watching. The world is watching as our Nation has been
exposed. If anyone has ever doubted that there are two Americas,
Hurricane Katrina and our government's shameful response have made this
division very clear.
New Orleans is a city where 65 percent of the population was black.
Nearly 30 percent, or one in three, were living below the poverty line.
Twenty-one percent of the households earned less than $10,000 a year.
Eighty-four percent of the people living in poverty in New Orleans were
black. People died because they were poor and black and young and old
and disabled. The incompetence and the indifference demonstrated by
this administration in responding to this tragedy was really quite
shocking, but it was not surprising.
For some of us, however, this is an America that we know very well.
It is an America that has often been swept under the rug by lawmakers
and the
[[Page H7718]]
media. This is the America that many of us know, and that is why the
Congressional Black Caucus and so many in this House fight each and
every day against these obscene tax cuts for the wealthy, and Medicaid
and housing and health care budget cuts.
This is the America that I know, and this is why I have said over and
over again that the war against Iraq, based on distortions and false
information, did not have to be fought. We did not have to spend over
$300 billion and deplete the resources that could have gone to domestic
security, economic security, and taken care of our people right here at
home.
Each and every Member of Congress should be frightened to death,
seeing the lack of preparedness and the unacceptably slow and deadly
response by our government. People died who would not have died if our
government had responded quickly and efficiently. This is a crime.
Each and every Member of Congress has had a glimpse of what could
happen in their districts should a natural disaster or, God forbid, a
terrorist attack occur in the future.
Now Americans have risen to the occasion and asked what they could do
to help. And after listening to a very disappointing briefing by
Cabinet Members and, however, listening to Members of Congress from
affected districts who, in spite of the odds, again have been
responding around the clock to the survivors of this devastation in
heroic ways, I have a few thoughts that I think we should do
immediately.
Well, of course, we must recognize, first of all, and thank
individuals and organizations who have continued with monetary
donations and also providing donations of medicine, clothing, bedding,
and hygiene articles. But do my colleagues know what? The Federal
Government must step up to the plate and lead this effort. We must help
find temporary transitional housing so that people can live with
dignity and respect until they can return home.
And we must insist that the Red Cross hire staff, and many of us have
had experience working with the Red Cross; they need to hire staff and
volunteers who reflect the populations that they serve, such as African
Americans and Latino volunteers and staff. They should be brought in.
Mental health professionals should also be sensitive to, and they
should be of, the diversity of the affected populations and understand
the cultural background of those who have been traumatized. And they
should understand, quite frankly, that they just left a war zone, and
post-traumatic stress syndrome will be setting in. And we must insist
that the rebuilding process takes into account the populations who have
been displaced. Developers should not just come in and create a city
where no one can afford to return home. There must be affordable
housing and good-paying jobs for those survivors of this devastation.
Also, we must ensure that survivors' losses are not compounded by
financial institutions. Credit card late fees and penalties and
mortgages, all of these issues must be addressed, and we must make sure
that our Americans are protected from predatory lenders at this time of
extreme need.
Let me just say, quite frankly, we must not allow military recruiters
to take advantage of the misfortune of hurricane survivors. They should
not be allowed to access temporary housing and shelters to recruit the
destitute and the vulnerable. As the proud daughter of a 25-year career
military officer, I honor and thank our service men and women for their
bravery and service, but I do not believe that recruiting traumatized
survivors of this hurricane is the right thing to do.
The world is watching, and I thank the gentleman from Mississippi
(Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) for
leading the way.
General Leave
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on the subject of this special order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from Houston, Texas (Mr. Green).
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Mississippi. I would like to extend my sympathies to all of the persons
who have suffered.
Mr. Speaker, I am not asking for help for the survivors because they
are black, of the black race; I am not asking that they be helped
because some of them are of the white race. I am asking for help
because they are all of the human race, and that is the race that
counts.
I believe, Mr. Speaker, that we must do something that is critical:
We must not continue to call them refugees. Because, Mr. Speaker, these
are tax-paying Americans. They have earned the right to be called
American citizens who are in need of our help. So I beg today that we
extend the hand of friendship and that this Congress spend whatever is
necessary to restore their lives.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, this
is a Congressional Black Caucus hour. We wanted to talk about Hurricane
Katrina and its impact on our Member districts. What I would like to do
is offer the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Orleans,
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi
for his expert handling of this hour to help to bring to the attention
of the American people the particular plight of African Americans, the
particular plight of people who are impoverished, the particular plight
of disadvantaged citizens who have been afflicted by this storm, and
the hope and promise that our Nation holds for them and for my great
city of New Orleans and the gulf coast region. I want to thank the
gentleman for his attention to this matter, and I thank my colleagues
for joining us in this very special and important hour.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, while there has been much
devastation brought upon the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina, I hope
that apart from its devastation, we can say that Hurricane Katrina
brought to light some of the atrocities that have been going on for
years such as the poverty crisis in this country.
For far too long, we as a nation have neglected the underprivileged
of this country. We are quick to criticize other countries for not
taking care of their own, however, we have all but forgotten the poor
in our own country.
A recent study by the Population Reference Bureau noted that Orleans
Parish, Louisiana and Harrison County, Mississippi, the counties that
are home to New Orleans and Biloxi respectively, had median household
incomes of just $31,369, 44 percent below that of the national average
of $44,684.
Additionally, 23.2 percent of the people in Orleans Parish and 14.6
percent of the people of Harrison County are below the poverty rate.
Disproportionate rates of those people are African American. A whopping
35 percent in Orleans Parish and 27.4 percent in Harrison County.
High proportions of elderly residents of the Gulf Coast have
disabilities as well. In New Orleans alone, 56.4 percent or 28,195
elderly resident have disabilities, compared to the national average of
39.6 percent.
About 9 percent of households in New Orleans did not even have a
vehicle available to escape the storm. And for those who did have
transportation, add to that the steadily rising gas prices which now
exceed $3.20.
This is simply unacceptable. The world is watching. And they are
waiting to see if we are going to do right by our own citizens. If we
will pull together to do what is right. We can send massive amounts of
aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the Gulf Coast. We fight
for democracy across the globe, but when our own needed help we were
slow to respond.
There is a gospel song that says, ``Sweep around your own front
door.'' Today, I say America it is time for us to sweep around our own
front doors. We can no longer put on blinders to the poverty crisis
that is now staring us in our face.
We must work within this Congress to put in place legislation that
will help these victims not just over the next few months, but for
years, because that is how long it will take for us to heal from this
natural disaster.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
address the ongoing crisis for those who have evacuated Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and to recognize the extraordinary
efforts of Texans. And in particular residents of Dallas.
For the people along the Gulf Coast, I wish to express my deepest
condolences.
This devastation has cost many individuals their homes, jobs,
belongings, and worst of all their lives.
[[Page H7719]]
Almost a quarter million evacuees have traveled to Texas. Seventeen
thousand of which have come to Dallas. This is an extremely traumatic
situation. Many of these individuals are looking for missing family and
friends. Most do not know if or when they will be able to return home.
The one bright spot is the thousands of Americans who have opened
their hearts to volunteer time and money. I truly believe it is the
personal efforts that make the greatest impact.
During this time of tragedy many heroes have emerged. Local
residents, churches, and businesses in Dallas have overwhelmingly
offered assistance.
The efforts of those who are volunteering their time at Dallas area
shelters have made an immeasurable impact. In addition, many Texans
have offered jobs or opened their homes to evacuated families.
I know that the generous spirit of Texans and of all Americans will
help to aid this transition. When these dislocated people return to
their communities, immediate economic opportunities should be given to
them first so they can rebuild.
Mr. Speaker, we now look towards this Administration to exhibit the
same type of sacrifice and humanity that countless Americans and
charities have displayed.
I question those policies that stretched those National Guard units
that could have rendered more immediate aid in New Orleans and
elsewhere. First responders have not been given the tools they need.
And this Administration drastically underfunded the Army Corps of
Engineers, who are responsible for maintaining the levees surrounding
New Orleans.
It is time to acknowledge our dependence on fossil fuels--whether
foreign or domestic--which set the stage for further economic
displacement ahead.
It is neither premature nor unpatriotic to raise questions as the
federal government recovers its footing after an initially dismal
performance. The point is that even though the government is now
showing signs of progress, much work remains.
I can assure the Administration we, as Members of CSC, will do our
best to work with them towards fulfilling our commitment to the
American citizens.
I will be offering a comprehensive education appropriations bill
along with Congressman Hinojosa. There are currently 160,000 displaced
students as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Texas Education Agency
predicts that as many as 70,000 displaced students will enter Texas
schools this year.
This bill sets up a $500 million fund for displaced students within
the Department of Education. From this fund, states will receive $3,000
for each displaced student that enters their school systems. This money
will provide funding for additional classrooms, teachers, books, and
supplies. These young people have been through a traumatic experience
and providing a safe stable school environment is vital.
I will also introduce a bill that would call on the Department of
Health and Human Services to ensure that the displaced survivors of
Hurricane Katrina and first responders receive the mental health
services they need.
Mr. Speaker and colleagues, think of the incredible stress these
people are experiencing. There is anxiety. There is depression. There
is a sense of hopelessness.
I am a former nurse, and I worked in the mental health sector. I feel
strongly that these displaced individuals, many of whom are left with
nothing, desperately need mental health services to address the trauma
they have endured.
This bill will call upon Health and Human Services and the Department
of Justice to address those needs. Mental health should not be
forgotten.
Mr. Speaker, the Federal Emergency response to this calamity was
disappointing. When I visited my District in Dallas and saw the
suffering of many displaced individuals, I was struck at how far-
reaching and long-term these issues will be. Let us make good
legislative decisions to help them in the best way possible.
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________