[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 14, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7877-H7879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORTING A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS OF 
                           HURRICANE KATRINA

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 240) 
supporting the goals and ideals of a national day of prayer and 
remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and encouraging all 
Americans to observe that day.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 240

       Whereas on August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall 
     on the southeast tip of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane;
       Whereas Hurricane Katrina moved into the Gulf of Mexico, 
     rapidly intensifying to a Category 5 hurricane and, on August 
     29, 2005, made landfall on the Gulf coast as a Category 4 
     hurricane with 140 mile-per-hour winds, devastating 
     communities and towns in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana;
       Whereas the levees protecting the city of New Orleans, 
     Louisiana from Lake Pontchartrain failed, causing heavy 
     flooding in the city and inflicting incredible human and 
     material damage;
       Whereas Hurricane Katrina caused the evacuation of the city 
     of New Orleans, marking the first time a major American city 
     has been completely evacuated;
       Whereas the number of individuals killed by Hurricane 
     Katrina is estimated to be in the hundreds;
       Whereas the damage to human life and the fabric of families 
     torn apart by Hurricane Katrina is inestimable;
       Whereas Hurricane Katrina has inflicted enormous damage to 
     homes and businesses along the Gulf Coast, with damage 
     estimates in the hundreds of billions of dollars;
       Whereas Hurricane Katrina left an estimated five million 
     people without power, and it may be months before all power 
     is restored;
       Whereas the States of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 
     Florida have received federal disaster declarations;
       Whereas Hurricane Katrina ranks among the worst natural 
     disasters in our Nation's history;
       Whereas years of intense effort will be required to recover 
     from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and to 
     rebuild the Gulf Coast;
       Whereas the American people have an inherent spirit of 
     willpower and strong resilience;
       Whereas the American people have opened their hearts and 
     their homes to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, sheltering 
     its victims, providing food and medical assistance, and 
     donating hundreds of millions of dollars to the relief 
     effort;
       Whereas Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco declared August 
     31, 2005, to be a day of prayer in the State of Louisiana, 
     and asked that all Louisianans take time that day to pray for 
     the victims of Hurricane Katrina and their rescuers; and
       Whereas President George W. Bush has proclaimed September 
     16, 2005, to be a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for 
     the Victims of Hurricane Katrina: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress supports the goals and ideals of a 
     national day of prayer and remembrance for the victims of 
     Hurricane Katrina and encourages all Americans to observe 
     that day.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite).


                             General Leave

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to 
revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. 
Con. Res. 240.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 240. This resolution expresses the solidarity of the House 
of Representatives with the people of the Gulf Coast whose lives have 
been lost, uprooted, and otherwise changed forever because of Hurricane 
Katrina.
  On August 29, Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana as a Category 
4 hurricane. It left almost the entire city of New Orleans under water 
and ravaged numerous other Gulf Coast communities. Hundreds of people 
were killed and millions forced to evacuate for an indefinite period of 
time. Katrina was one of the most destructive natural disasters that 
the United States has ever endured. The entire Nation has been grieving 
for more than 2 weeks.

[[Page H7878]]

  President Bush proclaimed this Friday, September 16, to be a national 
day of prayer and remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. On 
behalf of all Members, I commend the President for this proclamation 
and urge all Americans to keep the victims of this storm in their 
prayers.
  As a Floridian, I can particularly empathize with the people of the 
Gulf Coast. First, it is important to remember that before the 
hurricane gained power and hit Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, 
Katrina also struck south Florida as a Category 1 storm on August 25, 
killing 11 people. And last summer, in just over a one-month period, 
three devastating hurricanes, Charley, Frances and Ivan, destroyed 
neighborhoods, churches, businesses and communities throughout the 
State of Florida. These storms killed nearly 100 people and caused 
billions and billions of dollars in damage.
  Hurricane Katrina has proved to be even more costly, and that is why 
I know I speak for all Americans when I say that we stand shoulder to 
shoulder with the victims of this once-in-a-lifetime storm.
  Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Government Reform, of which I am very 
proud to be a member, will hold its first oversight hearing on the 
Federal government's overall response to Katrina tomorrow morning. The 
committee, led by our very distinguished chairman, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), seeks to gauge the efficacy of the hurricane 
preparation and recovery effort, determine what lessons our government 
has learned, and evaluate the preparedness of other major U.S. cities 
to cope with disasters of all types in the future.
  This Congress is overwhelmed with grief as a result of Katrina, and 
all Members are resolved to do everything possible to help to provide 
the necessary support to authorities and volunteers who are working to 
rebuild this area.
  Mr. Speaker, as we mourn the souls we lost to the incredible force of 
nature that was Hurricane Katrina, we are compelled to recognize the 
backbreaking, selfless, life-preserving work of the altruistic military 
and law enforcement personnel, relief workers, volunteers and others. 
Their seemingly endless work has been in full gear for more than 2 
weeks now, and we are all indebted to them for coming to the rescue of 
our Gulf Coast neighbors.
  Mr. Speaker, September 11, the October 2003 wildfires, the hurricanes 
in Florida last summer, and now Hurricane Katrina, these tragic events 
in this country have all had similar remarkable silver linings, and 
that is each brought out the best in the American people. Americans are 
an incredibly compassionate people, and they have and will do anything 
to help their neighbors.
  In recent days, there has been a colossal outpouring of benevolence 
and aid from citizens across this great land. The citizens of the Gulf 
Coast region have desperately needed this support. But our Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Alabama neighbors continue to need much more aid as so 
many lost their homes, their jobs, their precious belongings, and even 
their loved ones.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my distinguished colleagues will support this 
resolution, and I commend the sponsor. I urge Americans to observe the 
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Hurricane Katrina victims on 
Friday.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the people of North and South 
Carolina that they, too, have our prayers as they brace for Hurricane 
Ophelia making landfall today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on August 25, 
2005, on the southeastern tip of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. 
Hurricane Katrina then moved into the Gulf of Mexico and steadily made 
her way towards the Gulf Coast, intensifying to a Category 5 storm.
  On August 29, 2005, the hurricane was a Category 4 storm which 
sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and a storm surge over 20 feet 
when she devastated the Gulf Coast.

                              {time}  1045

  Hurricane Katrina swept along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, 
Florida and Louisiana, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. Two 
of the levees that protect the city of New Orleans from the waters of 
Lake Pontchartrain gave way under the enormous pressure of the flood 
waters that Katrina left behind.
  Overnight, much of the city of New Orleans was filled with water. 
Many residents of the Crescent City, who had thought the worst was 
over, were confronted by nearly 25 feet of water in the streets and in 
their homes.
  One of the worst natural disasters in United States history, 
Hurricane Katrina has resulted in economic losses that include property 
damage to homes, cars, ports, refineries, and public property. It is 
estimated that Hurricane Katrina has cost at least $125 billion in 
economic damage and could cost the insurance industry up to $60 billion 
in claims. No dollar figure, however, can be placed on the pain and 
suffering Katrina has wrought on those who stood in her path.
  The American people and the international community have responded 
overwhelmingly to this tragedy. They are donating money, lending their 
time, sharing expertise, making many innumerable sacrifices of their 
own in order to be helpful.
  On August 31, 2005, Governor Kathleen Blanco declared a day of prayer 
in Louisiana and asked that all Louisianans pray for the victims and 
their rescuers that day. On September 16, 2005, the National Day of 
Prayer will be observed in recognition of the many lives lost and the 
countless lives forever changed by Hurricane Katrina.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of the way in which my own State, the Land 
of Lincoln, the State of Illinois, reacted to this tragedy. I take this 
opportunity to commend the Governor for opening the doors of the State, 
the county board president for extending physicians and nurses and 
other personnel to the affected areas, to the mayor of our city and 
especially to the people of my congressional district and all over the 
country who have given continuously in order to show that they, too, 
experienced the same devastation and that their hearts, their minds and 
their resources go out to the victims.
  I would urge all of us to support a day of prayer.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Kansas City, Missouri (Mr. Cleaver).
  (Mr. CLEAVER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois for 
yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina is almost 
unfathomable. Hundreds of lives have been lost; families have been torn 
apart; people's homes, jobs, possessions and everything they have built 
up over their entire lives has been swept away; billions of dollars in 
damage has been inflicted; and the coast along the States of Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida has been flattened and flooded. New 
Orleans, the Big Easy, the Crescent City, the culinary capital of the 
Nation, has simply become an extension of Lake Pontchartrain. It is now 
clear that Hurricane Katrina is one of the worst natural disasters to 
ever hit America.
  My son Evan graduated in May from Dillard University in New Orleans 
and was still there when Katrina struck, and I thank God that he 
escaped with his life; but like so many others, he lost most of his 
possessions when Katrina pulled back the roof of the apartment building 
where he lived. Having now been separated from his friends, his work 
and his adopted city, his life will never be the same.
  Although he lost almost everything, he was able to retrieve his video 
camera and was able to record what is now left of New Orleans. He 
shared that video with his mother and me this past week; and although I 
cannot fathom what it is like for those who have experienced Katrina's 
wrath firsthand, I can tell my colleagues that I was deeply, deeply 
saddened and affected by the images of utter devastation wrought by the 
storm.
  Seeing that video reinforced my resolve to help Katrina's victims, 
help rebuild the Gulf Coast; and it reinforced in my mind that there is 
an incredible

[[Page H7879]]

need for prayer. That is why I decided to introduce this resolution for 
a national day of prayer and remembrance.
  Many in our Nation believe, as do I, that prayer changes things and 
that it represents the highest level of human communication. As many of 
us now know, this Friday, September 16, has been designated as a day of 
prayer and remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina; and my 
resolution, the resolution we are currently considering, expresses the 
support of Congress for such a day and urges all Americans to join 
together this Friday to remember those that have lost their lives and 
to ask for strength and determination for those that are trying to 
rebuild their lives and their city.
  In the wake of tragedy, the American people have always stepped up to 
support their fellow man and woman, and Hurricane Katrina is no 
different. The American people have opened their hearts, their 
checkbooks and even their homes in sheltering the storm's victims, 
providing food and medical assistance, and donating hundreds of 
millions of dollars to the relief effort.
  In my home State of Missouri, for example, Children's Mercy Hospital 
of Kansas City, Missouri, has opened their doors to a number of young 
patients and families flown in from New Orleans by the Missouri Air 
National Guard, and the Red Cross has raised hundreds of thousands of 
dollars in Kansas City.
  The compassion and generosity of the American people is unparalleled; 
but as the devastation and full impact of Hurricane Katrina is further 
understood, its victims and their families will more than ever need us 
all to keep them in our thoughts and prayers as well.
  As senior pastor of the St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas 
City, I have called on my congregation to support the evacuees with 
their time, talent, treasure and prayer. I have asked them to pray for 
the victims of Hurricane Katrina, their families and all those who are 
aiding in the recovery and relief effort.
  I hope my colleagues will all join me in the support of this 
resolution and will join me in prayer, along with the President, at the 
National Cathedral this Friday and join the American people to remember 
all those affected by the devastating events of the past 2 weeks.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Let me just state that I agree wholeheartedly with the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Cleaver) that prayer is the highest form of human 
communication; that it has a way of making things different. So I would 
simply urge passage of this resolution and thank him for its 
introduction.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, regardless of what denomination one belongs to, we all 
know the power of prayer; and that is one reason why I am sure that my 
colleagues will join me in supporting the National Day of Prayer for 
Hurricane Katrina victims.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) that 
the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. 
Con. Res. 240.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________