[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN MEMORY OF THOSE LOST IN KATRINA--LET US ENSURE NO ONE IS ABANDONED 
                                 AGAIN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Katrina and the tragedy that 
followed forced many people to revisit an issue that had been ignored 
by this Nation for far too long--the high rate of poverty in the United 
States.
  There is no question that one of the root causes of the tragedy that 
occurred in New Orleans was poverty. The people with the economic means 
to do so left the city prior to the storm. Those left in the city were 
unable to flee because they could not afford to do so, thereby forcing 
them to ride out the storm in their homes or in the shelter of ``last 
resort.'' Many of those left behind were from predominately low-income 
areas, such as the city's ninth ward.
  Ironically, the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, the 
Census Bureau reported that nearly 30 percent of the city's residents 
were living in poverty, making it the second poorest city in the 
Nation. Meanwhile, the overall poverty rate for the Nation increased 
for the fourth year in a row. An additional 1.1 million Americans fell 
into poverty last year, bringing the total number to 37 million.
  It is clear that although many residents of New Orleans waited for 
days to be rescued from flood waters, they, and millions of other 
Americans, were abandoned by this administration a long time ago. 
Programs designed to alleviate poverty and assist working families 
struggling to make ends meet have seen their funding cut in recent 
years. Critical programs such as child care assistance, job training, 
low-income housing assistance, and after-school programs have seen 
their budgets reduced in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy.
  Meanwhile, the Republican leadership plans to continue to pursue its 
irresponsible plan to further dismantle what is left of this country's 
safety net by making additional cuts to entitlement programs. Many of 
these programs are going to provide critical services to the survivors 
of Hurricane Katrina.
  Repairing the damage from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath will 
take more than repairing broken levees and rebuilding homes and 
businesses. If we truly want to ensure that the death, destruction, and 
human suffering that was caused by the storm and its aftermath does not 
happen again, we need to remove the hurdles that force people to live 
in poverty.
  We should work to ensure that all workers receive a livable wage so 
that they are able to support themselves and their families. Also, we 
need to guarantee that every American has access to all of the 
educational opportunities that are available so that all of our 
citizens have the means to live a better life. Finally, when families 
fall behind and need additional assistance to get them through tough 
times, we need to ensure that the Federal Government has the resources 
to assist our most vulnerable citizens.
  Let us use the tragedy that occurred in the Gulf region as a catalyst 
for eradicating poverty in this Nation. In memory of those who were 
lost in the storm and its aftermath, and for the survivors, let us do 
everything we can to ensure that no one is abandoned again.




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