[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 123 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H8839-H8840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1230
ACKNOWLEDGING PROGRESS TO REBUILD GULF COAST REGION AFTER HURRICANES
KATRINA AND RITA
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further
consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 551) acknowledging the
progress made and yet to be made to rebuild the Gulf Coast region after
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and ask for its immediate consideration in
the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows
H. Res. 551
Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the lives of
4.5 million people through loss of life and personal injury;
destroyed homes, businesses, and public property; displaced
people; and damaged cultural assets and economies across the
Gulf Coast of the United States;
Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed nearly every
home and business in Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish,
Plaquemines Parish, and Cameron Parish; and thousands of
homes in Calcasieu Parish and other coastal parishes also
suffered flood damage;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina displayed winds peaking at 175
miles per hour;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast
region on August 29, 2005, as a powerful category 3 storm and
the third strongest land-falling hurricane ever recorded in
the United States;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina destroyed 275,000 homes, 18,750
businesses, and 875 schools in Louisiana, and is blamed for
the deaths of 1,577 residents in Louisiana;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina caused four levees to breach,
including the 17th Avenue Canal, the Industrial Canal, and
the London Avenue Canal, resulting in flooding of the city of
New Orleans and the parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines;
and nearly two years later, work on those levees is still
unfinished;
Whereas, because of an insufficient levee protection
system, approximately 80 percent
[[Page H8840]]
of New Orleans was submerged for nearly one month in deadly
flood waters;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina devastated institutions of higher
education, including Delgado Community College, Dillard
University, Loyola University New Orleans, Southern
University at New Orleans, Tulane University, the University
of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana;
Whereas nearly two years later, all colleges and
universities in New Orleans have reopened, but enrollment is
lagging, major infrastructure has not yet been rebuilt, many
public schools remain closed, and private and public schools
that have reopened are struggling to recover;
Whereas prior to Hurricane Katrina, the population of New
Orleans was 484,674; but nearly two years after Hurricane
Katrina, little more than half of New Orleans residents have
been able to return to their homes;
Whereas Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the capabilities of
State and local governments and Congress appropriated
billions of dollars for emergency response needs, such as
evacuations, repairs, deployment of personnel, and other
immediate relief efforts;
Whereas nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, disaster
relief efforts continue to be needed, especially for hundreds
of thousands of displaced citizens;
Whereas Hurricane Rita made landfall along the border of
Louisiana and Texas on September 24, 2005, as the fourth most
intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, causing $9.4
billion in property damage;
Whereas Hurricane Rita completely destroyed several towns
in Southwest Louisiana along the border of Texas and washed
tons of potentially hazardous debris into the area's marshes,
causing severe economic loss, detrimental health effects, and
deaths;
Whereas Congress has responded to the devastation of the
Gulf Coast region by providing billions of dollars in
assistance, including tax relief efforts such as the Gulf
Opportunity Zone, student aid, and disability services to
victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and nearly two years
later, Congress continues to provide assistance to expedite
economic recovery in the region; and
Whereas the people of the United States have been extremely
generous in their support for the Gulf Coast region, in
addition to the outpouring of assistance from the
international community, which continues to support the
recovery efforts in the region: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of the Gulf Coast region to
the economy of the United States;
(2) recognizes the importance of the cultural contributions
of the people of the Gulf Coast to the United States; and
(3) expresses its support for all individuals still
affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita two years after these
terrible natural disasters struck.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Katrina made a
devastating impact on Florida and the Gulf Coast states in the last
days of August 2005, followed within weeks by Hurricanes Rita and
Wilma. These disasters will long be remembered for disrupting families,
changing and ending lives, and forcing Americans to rethink about our
preparedness and ability to respond effectively to disasters.
Unfortunately, these hurricanes served as a catalyst for changes in
federal policy and government management within the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency management Agency
(FEMA).
Most of those changes were included in Title VI of the DHS
appropriations legislation for FY2007. It established new leadership
positions and requirements within FEMA. Additionally, it brought new
missions into FEMA and enhanced the agency's authority by directing the
FEMA Administrator to undertake a broad range of activities before and
after disasters.
Although, Congress has responded to the devastation of the Gulf Coast
region by providing billions of dollars in assistance, more resources
are needed to expedite the economic recovery in this region.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Representative William Jefferson
for introducing this legislation and urge the swift passage of this
bill.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________