[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1801-E1802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of these supplemental 
appropriations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
  As someone who helped rebuild my city, New York City, after the 
terror attacks of 9/11 and as someone who lost over 110 constituents, 
countless friends and my first cousin to the horrors of the World Trade 
Center, I know the pain and suffering the people of the Gulf Coast are 
feeling and their despair.
  When America hurts, America helps.
  The damage of Hurricane Katrina is much greater than the physical 
destruction that was left in its wake. And it is much more than the 
psychological trauma that has affected these survivors who are now 
displaced. The damage is so great, and the lack of response from our 
Federal Government in the immediate days after this storm was so small, 
that it begs for this Congress to demand answers.
  Why was the agency that is responsible for our emergency response, 
FEMA, so woefully under-prepared and under-funded?
  Why did the director of FEMA have no emergency management experience?
  Why was funding for the Army Corps of Engineers designated to protect 
the City of New Orleans from a dangerous flood of this level, diverted 
to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans?
  These questions demand answers.
  Last week we saw many shocking images of poverty and economic 
disparities among us. Like many parts of many cities in this country, 
the tourist trodden French Quarter with fancy hotels and restaurants 
are worlds away from the reality for the people who work in them. One 
third of the city of New Orleans lived below the poverty line, and 
these people, mostly African American, where the ones who were most 
impacted by this storm and the mismanagement of the Federal response.
  We also saw positive images of Americans helping Americans in need. 
We saw a young six year old boy; lead his siblings to safety and to be 
re-united with his family. We saw neighbors help out other neighbors to 
get them to safety, and we saw the National Guard many fresh off duty 
in Iraq, put on their boots and wade into the water to save lives.
  This money today will provide an immediate infusion of cash to 
provide healthcare for displaced people, emergency housing vouchers for 
people without a home, emergency unemployment insurance for people now 
without a job, and money for debris removal and systems to provide 
clean water to the city of New Orleans.
  This money partners with the amazing response of the American people 
and the world community to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 
Constituents throughout my district have volunteered their time, 
contributions and money to help the people of the Gulf remembering how 
these same people helped us after 9/11. When America hurts, America 
helps and the remarkable sacrifice and contributions of so many people 
who have opened up their wallets and homes to these victims is what 
makes our country so great.
  Today's support is a strong step, but it not the last step. The last 
time this many people were displaced was during the Civil War. This 
Congress must get back to work in a bi-partisan manner, and address the 
needs both immediate and future, of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 
And we should not adjourn or recess until we do so. Tax-cuts, estate 
tax repeal, plans to privatize Social Security, should all take a back 
burner, while these people suffer.
  We must work to bring the full Federal resources of this government 
to help these people get back into their homes and quickly as possible, 
and to rebuild their lives.
  We must use this tragedy as an opportunity to improve the quality of 
life for these residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. For one-
third of the people of the city of New Orleans to be living in poverty, 
sub-standard housing with poor healthcare, is in-excusable in this the 
richest country in the world. We must raise living standards through 
job training, better schools and stronger neighborhoods and eradicate 
the hopeless conditions so many Americans live in not only in the Gulf 
region but throughout our Nation. Let us use this terrible storm to 
learn a lesson and commit us to a new war on poverty that will truly 
bring Americans who are living in 19th Century poverty into the 21st 
Century through better housing, healthcare and education.

[[Page E1802]]

  And we must use this as an opportunity to find out what went wrong, 
how our government whose responsibility is protecting its citizens, 
failed so miserably in the Gulf Region and how we can prevent this 
tragedy again. I call for an independent Commission, bi-partisan with 
the full authority of the 9/11 Commission to get to the bottom of this, 
and recommend to the Congress the changes that will be necessary to 
protect American lives in the future.

                          ____________________