[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT TO MEET IMMEDIATE NEEDS 
        ARISING FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE KATRINA, 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 2, 2005

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
3645, which will provide an initial installment of desperately needed 
supplemental funding for disaster relief efforts in the Gulf Coast 
region. Hurricane Katrina has left untold devastation and loss in its 
wake, and it is critical that we do everything we can to get assistance 
to those who need it without delay.
  I have received dozens of calls this week from Rhode Islanders who 
are angry and frustrated by the horrific images they are seeing from 
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They are right to be outraged by 
the utter failure of our government to ensure the prompt evacuation and 
rescue of stranded residents or to deliver needed medical supplies, 
food and clean drinking water to the tens of thousands of people whose 
very survival depends on it.
  The Federal reaction to this crisis has been slow and ill-
coordinated, which is particularly troubling in light of the advance 
notice and warning systems we are able to rely upon in hurricane and 
other natural disaster situations. I am deeply concerned not only about 
the response to this disaster, but about how much worse it could have 
been had we been given no warning, as in the case of a terrorist 
attack.
  Four years after September 11th and tens of billions of dollars 
later, we should have been better prepared for this disaster. We have 
received countless assurances from the Administration that this Nation 
is ready and equipped to keep our citizens safe, but our citizens have 
just come face to face with the truth, and it tells a shockingly 
different story.
  In the weeks and months to come, there will be many, many tough 
questions to be answered on the part of Federal officials and others. 
As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to get to the bottom of this national 
failure as we carefully examine what went wrong, how the region and 
Federal Government could have been better prepared, and what must be 
done to ensure this kind of situation is never repeated. We must look 
at the organization of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, 
funding for disaster response, coordination between domestic agencies 
and the military, interoperable communications, public health 
preparedness, critical infrastructure protection and much more.
  However, as the crisis continues, it is important that we focus on 
the critical days ahead and concentrate our efforts on ensuring that we 
are doing everything in our power from this point forward. Hundreds of 
thousands of displaced residents, many of whom have lost everything, 
are looking to us for help, and we can not let them down. Today's 
supplemental appropriation will provide an infusion of funding to allow 
immediate needs to be met, and my colleagues and I will be ready to 
provide whatever additional assistance may become necessary as the 
response progresses.
  Today, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have lost 
loved ones, had their homes and livelihoods destroyed, and who continue 
to suffer in terrible conditions, not knowing what the future may hold. 
I also want to express my deepest appreciation to those who are working 
to offer whatever assistance they can. Thousands of National Guard 
troops, local first responders, relief workers and others are putting 
their lives on hold to help, and we should all do whatever we can to 
aid in those efforts as well.
  Thank you Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3645.

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