[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONCERNING THE DEVASTATION AND FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA

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                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we consider four realities 
about our nation's response to Hurricane Katrina.
  Allow me first to commend all of the Americans who have responded so 
nobly. They have demonstrated the best of our shared humanity.
  That brings me to a second, less-praiseworthy reality. Poverty, age 
and skin color--in that order--have been major factors in this life-or-
death equation for the vast majority of the victims. That is a fact, 
not an opinion--a fact that we must address as a nation.
  As Americans, we are all in this life together--especially during 
times of imminent danger and emergency. And the policies and actions of 
our Federal Government should reflect this reality.
  Third, as we respond to this disaster--and as we prepare for the 
dangers that the future will surely bring to our country--we cannot 
eliminate the reality of widespread (and growing) poverty on the Gulf 
Coast and throughout this country. And we must not act as if what we do 
here in Washington has no impact upon that deprivation. The Census 
Bureau just reported that for the fourth straight year, the number of 
Americans falling into poverty has increased. Thirty-seven million 
Americans now live in poverty, including 13 million children.
  Not surprisingly, those who were already most vulnerable were the 
largest group of Americans left stranded, unable to escape the storm or 
the flood that followed.
  The poor, the sick, the weak, the vulnerable--so often after-thoughts 
in today's Federal budget decisions--were left behind again. We must 
care for them and help those who survived to reclaim their lives.
  That means, in the first instance, that we must not further penalize 
those who have suffered so much.
  For those who were living in the Gulf Coast disaster area, we should: 
(1) Stop the clock on Federal time limits for all income related 
benefits (including those related to TANF, food stamps, and Federal 
Unemployment Insurance benefits); (2) Suspend the work requirements for 
TANF and the requirement that those who receive unemployment insurance 
continue to look for work; (3) We should extend Medicaid eligibility to 
CHIP parents for 12 months; and (4) The Federal Government should cover 
all the costs for these programs, relieving the hard-hit states of this 
burden.
  In addition, we should do everything within our power to employ the 
people who have lost their jobs and homes as a result of this disaster 
in the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Government and the 
private sector should begin immediately to retrain and hire these 
Americans to participate in the rebuilding of their communities.
  We should make sure they are mentally ready to begin rebuilding by 
offering counseling services, similar to those offered after 9-11. With 
skills, job and counseling where necessary, they will be able to become 
home owners and re-establish the foundation of their communities.
  Finally, we also must face and overcome another reality. Federal 
budget choices (misguided choices, in my view) have seriously weakened 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the federal agency that is 
supposed to be our safety net of last resort when disaster strikes.
  The media has been accurate in reporting how decisions by the 
Administration and the leaders of this Congress to cut funding to the 
Army Corps of Engineers and the FEMA disaster prevention programs have 
weakened our ability to respond effectively.
  Choices made in Washington have resulted in deaths in New Orleans. 
The President and this Congress must account for the shortcomings in 
the Federal disaster effort for which we are responsible--and work 
together to do a better job in the future.
  As I close, allow me to say that I remain optimistic. I am optimistic 
that we will find a way to organize FEMA in a way that allows it to 
respond effectively--maximizing the saving of lives.
  I am optimistic that this Congress will come up with a viable plan to 
try to make these victims and evacuees whole again--partisanship aside.
  I believe that the American people are up to this test--that we truly 
can rise to overcome almost any hardship that is thrust upon us.
  Any of us--and our families--could well be facing the same hardships, 
the same pain, the same loss of home and job and dignity that the 
survivors of Hurricane Katrina must now overcome.
  These are our people, my friends, and this is our country. We have it 
within our power to rise from the hesitancy and failure of past days 
and rebuild. We shall rebuild New Orleans. We shall rebuild the Gulf 
Coast. And we shall rebuild our self-confidence as a great Nation and a 
great people.

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