[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 116 (Thursday, September 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HURRICANE KATRINA

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise to address Hurricane Katrina---
what we have been doing and what we should do next. Much has been said 
on this floor about good, and bad, responses to Hurricane Katrina.
  This morning I would like to reflect on the good responses. I would 
like to mention a few stories of self-sacrifice and generosity made by 
some people from my home State of New Mexico. A team from Sandia 
National Laboratory's and Los Alamos National Laboratory's National 
Infrastructure Simulation Analysis Center is helping to determine the 
impact of Hurricane Katrina on electric power infrastructure and oil 
and gas infrastructure. The Office of Naval Research deployed an 
Expeditionary Unit for Water Purification from Alamogordo to create 
potable water from brackish water in Mississippi. Evacuees have been 
welcomed to our State. In one of the many shows of financial generosity 
by New Mexicans, the Sandia Pueblo has donated $1 million to the 
American Red Cross. As another example, earlier this month two Dona Ana 
County Commissioners plan to donate their salaries for the rest of this 
year, totaling almost $12,000, to Katrina victims.
  Many law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first 
responders from across the country are aiding in recovery efforts. One 
such group is from Bernalillo County, NM. The Bernalillo County 
Sheriff's Office and Fire Department sent 43 individuals to New 
Orleans, including 3 civilians and my good friend Darren White, who is 
the Sheriff in Bernalillo County. The Bernalillo County team spent 
several days on airboats, searching for survivors. At one point, the 
Sheriff was thrown from the boat into the toxic floodwaters covering 
New Orleans. He was sent to a decontamination center, but the 
experience did not deter him from his mission. Instead, he stayed in 
New Orleans to continue helping with the team's rescue efforts, which 
saved more than 200 people. Stories like this make me extremely proud 
of New Mexico's brave law officers.
  The list does not end there. The New Mexico Disaster Medical 
Assistance Team provided medical care in Louisiana. Task Force New 
Mexico, made up of 412 National Guardsmen, is helping a Louisiana 
parish get back on its feet. New Mexico Task Force One, an elite search 
and rescue team, assisted in recovery efforts. This team may sound 
familiar because New Mexico Task Force One was sent to the Pentagon 
following the September 11 attacks to help with rescue and recovery 
efforts there.
  Finally, I would like to quote a September 12, 2005 USA Today news 
clipping I found particularly striking. A ``disaster response director 
for the San Juan County Red Cross watched as two young boys from 
Farmington emptied their piggy banks . . . the boys were determined to 
send their money, $32 total, to victims of Hurricane Katrina.'' The 
parents of these two Farmington, New Mexico boys should be very, very 
proud of their sons. I certainly am.
  This, of course, is not an exhaustive list of New Mexico's 
contributions to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and I know that 
these stories are not unique to my home State. Many people across the 
country have responded with similar acts of courage and kindness. I 
would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the 
people from New Mexico and from across the country who are helping with 
Katrina relief and recovery efforts.
  I would also like to mention a few of the many Federal actions taken 
in response to Hurricane Katrina. Mr. President, 50,000 people have 
been rescued, and 53 million liters of water and 22 million meals have 
been distributed. U.S. military personnel, Federal law enforcement 
officers, and other Federal employees have gone to the gulf coast to 
help people like Sheriff White with rescue, recovery, and security 
efforts. Federal agencies have provided millions of dollars in grants 
for emergency energy assistance, agricultural aid, Head Start programs, 
and job creation. The Federal Government has done much more, including 
appropriating more than $62 billion in emergency funding for the gulf 
coast region.
  It should be noted that these billions of dollars are being provided 
for immediate needs; the monies do not include funds for any long term 
rehabilitation or reconstruction projects along the gulf coast. 
However, such sums will be needed soon, as we face the most difficult 
long-term situation that America has ever confronted on her own soil. 
Rehabilitating and reconstructing the Gulf Coast will take several 
years and several billions of dollars. I believe the proper way to 
organize and coordinate these efforts is by creating an office that 
will work with leadership in the affected area to coordinate Federal, 
State, and local actions and report on reconstruction efforts.
  I am not asserting that control should be taken away from the States 
and cities that were directly impacted by Katrina. Nor am I advocating 
that this person should play any role in reviewing the local, State and 
Federal responses to Katrina or in recommending any policy changes that 
may need to be made because of those responses.
  However, I do believe we need someone who can oversee the numerous 
Federal projects and Federal funds that will be associated with the 
rebuilding efforts.
  Creating such an office is not without precedence. I was here in 1972 
when the Mid-Atlantic States were flooded by rainfall from Tropical 
Storm Agnes. These floods caused the costliest natural disaster in U.S. 
history at the time. President Nixon had the foresight to appoint Frank 
Carlucci, his Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 
to serve as his ``personal representative'' to the disaster area 
created by Agnes. Mr. Carlucci coordinated the multistate, multi-agency 
rebuilding efforts associated with Tropical Storm Agnes.
  I believe that a similar office is needed now to oversee the long-
term, multi-state rebuilding efforts associated with Katrina, and I 
have urged President Bush to create such an office by Executive Order. 
We are facing an important time in this country, and we must carefully 
choose how to proceed. I am convinced that the creation of a central 
office to coordinate the gulf coast rehabilitation is the proper way to 
move forward.

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